Scoopfuls of pleasure

Vanilla Fudge Ice-Cream

Serves 4

4 large egg yolks

125ml castor sugar

5ml vanilla essence

250ml milk, warmed

150ml double cream

Fudge sauce:

100g dark chocolate

30ml boiling water

45ml golden syrup


Using an electric hand-beater, whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a heat-proof bowl until thick and creamy. Gradually beat in warmed milk.

Place bowl over simmering water and continue whisking until the mixture thickens and forms a custard. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Once cooled, carefully stir in cream and place in the fridge to chill.

Pour the chilled custard mixture into the bowl of an ice-cream machine and, according to the manufacturer's instructions, churn until mixture is thick but still soft enough to be spoonable.

Alternatively, put mixture into a large bowl and cover tightly with clingwrap. Freeze for 1¾ hours or until the mixture begins to freeze around the edges.

Remove from freezer, then beat with an electric hand-beater until smooth. Return to freezer, and repeat process once or twice more, until frozen.

Pack scoops of the finished ice-cream into a suitable freezer container and swirl in the fudge sauce. Be careful not to over-mix as you want thick ribbons and pockets of the fudge mixture to be clearly visible. Cover and allow to harden in the freezer for at least three hours.

Fudge sauce: Combine chocolate, water and syrup in a small saucepan, and place over medium heat until melted. Remove from heat and, using a wooden spoon, mix well until smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool. Chill until required.



Layered Ice-Cream Supreme

Serves 6-8

3 eggs, separated

7ml vanilla essence

397g can condensed milk

375ml cream

100g dark chocolate, melted

60g slivered almonds, toasted and chopped

60g maraschino cherries, roughly chopped

25ml cherry liqueur (optional)


Beat egg yolks, vanilla and 75ml condensed milk in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water until mixture thickens. Stir in remaining condensed milk and set aside to cool.

Whip cream until soft peaks form, and then fold into egg mixture. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form and fold into mixture.

Divide mixture into three smaller bowls. Stir the melted chocolate into the first bowl, add the nuts to the second, and cherries and liqueur to the third bowl.

Spray a 13x23cm loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with clingwrap (this makes it easier to turn out the loaf).

Spoon cherry mixture into pan. Place in the freezer until firm.

Cover other bowls with clingwrap and keep chilled in the fridge.

Once the cherry layer is firm, remove from freezer and spoon over the chocolate mixture. Return to freezer to firm up again. As soon as the chocolate layer has set, spoon the remaining ice-cream mixture over the chocolate layer.

Cover with foil and return to the freezer to set overnight.

To serve: Unmould onto a serving plate, remove clingwrap and decorate with cherries.

Allow to soften in fridge for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe inspired by chef Floris Smith.

Serves 4-6



Strawberry Frozen Yoghurt

Sauce:

250ml frozen or fresh strawberries, chopped

250ml boiling water

250ml castor sugar

45ml liquid glucose

500ml Greek yoghurt


Combine strawberries, water, sugar and glucose in a saucepan and allow sugar to dissolve over medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Skim surface, if necessary, and set aside to cool.

Once cooled, combine half the sauce with the yoghurt and spoon into a suitable freezer container. Place in freezer and stir every 30 minutes with a fork until frozen.

Serve with remaining sauce.



Granadilla Frozen Yoghurt

Sauce:

8 granadillas, pulp scooped out

250ml castor sugar

250ml boiling water

45ml liquid glucose

500ml Greek Yoghurt


Combine granadilla pulp, sugar, water and glucose in a small saucepan and allow sugar to dissolve over medium heat.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim surface if necessary to remove any foam. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, combine half the sauce with the yoghurt and spoon into a suitable freezer container.

Place in freezer and stir every 30 minutes with a fork until frozen. Serve with remaining sauce.



Vanilla Frozen Yoghurt

Sauce:

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out

250ml boiling water

250ml castor sugar

15ml liquid glucose

500ml Greek yoghurt


Combine vanilla pod, seeds, water, sugar and glucose in a saucepan and allow sugar to dissolve over medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Once cooled, combine half the sauce with the yoghurt and spoon into a suitable freezer container. Place in freezer and stir every 30 minutes with a fork until frozen.

Serve with remaining sauce.



Blueberry Semifreddo

An Italian light ice-cream with a smooth creamy texture that never sets very hard. Serves 6-8

250g fresh blueberries

45ml cherry liqueur

300ml cream

80ml icing sugar

12 small meringues, crushed

extra blueberries to serve


Place blueberries and liqueur into a mini-chopper and blitz until roughly chopped. Spoon into a mixing bowl.

Whip the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form, then fold in crushed meringues. Carefully fold in blueberry mixture.

Spoon mixture into a suitable freezer container, cover and freeze overnight.

To serve: Warm an ice-cream scoop in a little hot water and scoop out semifreddo into serving dishes. Serve two to three scoops a person, topped with a generous spoonful of extra fresh blueberries.

Note: Other berries like raspberries or strawberries can be used instead of blueberries.



Rum and Raisin Ice Cream

Serves 8

'ml seedless raisins

125ml rum

100g butter

250ml soft brown sugar

1 egg

50g pecan nuts or toasted almonds, chopped

1 litre cream, lightly whipped


Combine the raisins and rum in a small bowl and set aside to allow the raisins to plump up.

Melt the butter over low heat and stir in the sugar. Set aside and allow to cool. Whisk the egg and add to the butter mixture. Stir in rum mixture and add nuts.

Fold in the whipped cream and spoon the mixture into a suitable freezer container. Cover and freeze overnight.

Allow to soften in the fridge 10-15 minutes before serving.



Freesing Tips

Home-made ice-cream will keep in the freezer for 3-4 weeks. After that, the texture begins to deteriorate. Frozen yoghurts are best eaten within two weeks.

Keep ice-cream tightly covered in the freezer to prevent ice crystals forming.

Before serving, allow the ice-cream to soften slightly in the fridge, resulting in a better flavour and creamier texture.

Beating the ice-cream during freezing at regular intervals with a fork breaks down the ice crystals, resulting in a smooth, lighter texture.

Home-made ice-cream beaten by hand has a slightly firmer texture than that made in a machine because an ice-cream churn incorporates more air into the mixture than hand-beating does.

Store home-made ice-creams in plastic or metal containers covered with a lid, allowing a little room for expansion when the ice-cream freezes.

• This article was originally published on page 10 of The Star on January 18, 2010

Source : Babynet