Nice Ice

I honestly believe that it is at this time of year that I genuinely regress into my childhood.  I am the sort of person who insists everyone has a stocking on Christmas morning, the decorating of the tree is a family affair and had I not been initiated into the adult truth regarding the big guy with the white beard and stomach made out of chocolate muffins, I would still like to believe he squeezes his way into our chimney each year at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve to bestow his generosity regardless of whether I have been good or bad.

So with all that going on and the accompanying white stuff threatening to once again litter our pavements I have had a bizarre craving to find the ultimate ice cream.  Strange I know but I never pretended to be ordinary.  So in the spirit of pure indulgence during this Christmas period I have been playing around with flavours to tempt my pallet and inspire images of 1950's ice cream parlours but perhaps on a more adult theme.  To be truthful it should be said that out of the five I messed around with some worked better than others.  I give you my four favourites. 

One is slightly unusual and reminds me of childhood purple violets, one is very grown up and was born out of having a cold and two are quite simply wonderful and perhaps just a little bit decadent...

Ice Cream - Basic recipe

300ml single cream or milk

300ml double cream

4 egg yolks
75g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod

Heat milk and vanilla up to boiling point. Leave to infuse for 5 minutes then remove the pod, split open and scrape out the seeds stirring them back into the milk mixture.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick.  Whisk into the vanilla milk mixture.  Over a low heat simmer to a custard (it will be ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon).  You must do this over a low heat and keep an eye on it or it will split changing the consistency of the ice cream from one of creamy loveliness to something rather grainy.

Whisk the double cream until turning thick and then fold this into the custard mixture.

Place into the ice cream maker and churn as per your machines instructions.  If you don't have a machine then pour into a shallow dish and freeze covered stirring every half hour until frozen.

Flavour Variations:

White Chocolate Lemon Cheesecake

200g white chocolate

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

350ml double cream

250g full fat cream cheese

75g caster sugar

4 egg yolks

Bring sugar, cream cheese, lemon zest and double cream to the boil and leave to infuse.  Whisk the egg yolks and add to the cream mixture with the lemon juice.  Gently heat over a low simmer until custard consistency is achieved.  Pour into the ice cream machine for required time or freeze in shallow dish.

Hazelnut, Fudge and White Chocolate

200g white chocolate

100g hazelnuts (chopped but not fine grain)

100g fudge pieces

Use basic ice cream recipe as above.  Add chocolate once custard mixture is achieved and stir to melt, add hazelnuts and fudge pieces and continue as per instructions.

Lavender and Honey

Replace sugar with Lavender sugar or add 1 dsp lavender flowers to milk along with 2 tablespoons of runny honey.  Continue as per basic ice cream mixture.

Whiskey and Ginger

2 pieces of stem ginger (chopped into pieces)

3-4 tbsp whiskey (more or less depending on how strong you want it)

Use basic ice cream recipe as above.  Place the ginger and whiskey in the milk prior to bringing to the boil.  Leave to infuse for 10 minutes then strain the milk discarding the ginger.  
Continue as per instructions.