The latest experiment!

I know I'm always droning on about no-churn ice creams but this one could even persuade you that it's marginally healthy – after all it has got fresh fruit in it – I jest of course!

Plum Ripple Ice Cream

I have lifted the outer skins from the roasted plums in readiness for folding into the ice cream. Remember the piece of kit I mentioned a while back – the small tongs – absolutely perfect for this task – quick and easy – you don't have to remove the outer skin – I just thought it would give a better finished “ripple”.

It goes without saying that the ice cream base is my old faithful no-churn vanilla plus 300g of roasted plums. Make up the recipe as usual but ensure that it's a stiff consistency – you need to make allowance for the fact that you are adding the plums and will therefore loosen the mixture.

Crumble topping

I mentioned that pecans are a perfect partner for plums so I used one of my favourite crumble topping recipes – one of Nigella's – although I blitz the pecans in my tiny Kenwood processor rather than chopping by hand – I just prefer an even “blitz” rather than different sizes – it's personal choice.

Nigella's crumble topping

150g cold unsalted butter, diced

250g self raising flour

150g demerara sugar

200g pecans, chopped finely

or a mixture, some larger or left whole

Rub the butter into the flour using the old fashioned method – your first three fingers and thumbs – back in the day we used to call it “the rubbing in method”. As Nigella says you can use a processor if you wish but it doesn't take long and there's no washing up. You want texture to the crumble topping not fine sand.

I make the crumble topping whenever I have time then bag it and freeze it.

Photos on their way!