More ice cream ideas!

Remember the fudge … now for the ice cream! Having made the fudge I thought I'd mess about and make a new ice cream.

Here's the recipe for the fudge – I'd make it ahead :

Chocolate Fudge Squares

Takes 1½ hours/ make 50 pieces

400g dark or milk chocolate, broken into small

even sized pieces

25g butter

397 can condensed milk

100g icing sugar

30g cocoa powder, sifted

Line a 20cm square shallow tin with baking parchment.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. In a non-stick saucepan melt the butter and gently warm the condensed milk, then add the melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar until blended and smooth.

Put the mixture into the prepared tin, spread evenly into the corners, smooth over the top and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour. Remove and cut into small squares and dust with cocoa.

Coming next - a photo or two and a few hints and tips …

The ice cream on its own is very easy, the only extra prep is to cut your fudge into tiny pieces. Your fudge is already in 2x2cm pieces, cut each piece into four again, preferably on kitchen roll so that you preserve any cocoa dust and you're ready to roll!

Here's the basic recipe again :

Vanilla ice cream

1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk

1 x 600ml double cream

2tsp vanilla bean paste

Put the condensed milk, cream and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until the mixture is quite thick and stiff, like pipeable whipped cream.

You will need 260g of fudge cut into tiny irregular pieces

including the cocoa dust too

Fold the tiny pieces of fudge and the cocoa dust gently through the ice cream so that you achieve a ripple effect with a hidden surprise of fudge!

Spoon the mixture into a lidded freezer-proof containers and freeze for at least 6-8 hours or until firm. You might also want to consider freezing individual portions as well as larger pots, just in case you need an ice cream fix for yourself – as the cook you need to taste!

Bear in mind that you need to take the ice cream out of the freezer at least 15 minutes before serving to allow it to soften.

Photo guide up next …

The ice cream fudge fotos

the tiny pieces of fudge and cocoa

dust, ready to incorporate

the ice cream base and folding in

the fudge and cocoa dust

tiny pots of ice cream – ready for the

freezer

Strawberry Miso Ripple

First, the compote :

A strawberry compote

500g ripe strawberries, hulled

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the strawberries in half – or quarters if large – place in a large saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer. Cover and cook for 3/5 minutes until dark in colour and syrupy. Compote can be store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. I'd suggest you divide in half and freeze one for a rainy day.

If you prefer a smooth compote blitz and pass through a sieve.

As you can see it's not a difficult recipe, hulling the berries, i.e. removing the green leaf on the top and the stalk below, takes a little time but it's worth every second. You can buy a kitchen implement to do the job if you wish but using a paring knife and cutting in a circular motion will do the job just as well.

Instead of keeping the whole fruit or blitzing and passing for a smooth version why not have half and half?

When your compote has cooled :

Gently poor the compote into a large mixing bowl

and weigh the total amount

In my case this was 512g precisely!

Take 256g of the whole fruits and place in

a jar and fridge

Blitz and pass the remaining half and set

aside ready for use

Add the smooth compote to your batch of ice cream and fold gently through creating a ripple effect, then freeze in containers to suit.

Say hello to Strawberry Miso Ripple!

Strawberry Miso Ripple – the photos

the sweet white miso in the mixing bowl

the ice cream whipped, ready to ripple

adding the compote

rippled!

Et voila :

                                                                       one scoop or two?

the ripple topped with the whole fruit compote

Most importantly … the verdict.

Silence is always a good sign, followed by the scraping of the dish, finally two words “beautiful” and “gorgeous” - not words you'd normally associate with strawberries and ice cream but hey I'll take them!

Speaking of seasonal fresh fruit

I don't think there is a more evocative scent of summer than that of a bowl of strawberries, it's just divine and makes your mouth water. Sadly these days shop bought fruit can bring disappointment since a lot of strawberries are forced and taste, quite honestly, of nothing. Buy locally at farm shops or pick your own if you can.

No-churn strawberry ice cream

The recipe will give you 960g

750g/1½lb strawberries

juice of two lemons

1 x 397g condensed milk

300g light brown muscovado sugar

Top the strawberries, cut in half or quarters if large then blitz to a purée, add the lemon juice. Tip the blitzed berries into a large sieve and allow the purée to pass through. As you're passing the strawberries there's no need to hull the berries.

Place the condensed milk and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk on high for 10 minutes. I used a hand whisk. Eventually the sugar is beaten into the condensed milk and will give you a ribbon effect. Set your timer and have patience – it's worth it. You can help your strawberry pulp through the sieve with the back of a metal spoon. Fold into your sugar and condensed milk and mix until combined. I split the mixture into two boxes. Freeze for at least 6 hours. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving – no longer – it softens very quickly.

If you want a perfect scoop dip the scoop into boiling water and pat dry.

As the cook I think you're entitled to taste the ice cream ahead of serving. I confess I'm not a huge fan as a rule but I was intrigued so I took a teaspoonful as I boxed it – one word - “wow” - I ditched the spoon and took another, just to be sure.

Another ice cream of the no churn variety

I cannot claim the credit for this addition to our ice cream repertoire – it is courtesy of delicious. Magazine – consistently brilliant in my humble opinion!

Mascarpone no-churn ice cream

Whisk 150g mascarpone with 170g condensed

milk and ½ tsp vanilla extract (or bean paste).

Pour into a container suitable for the freezer

fold in 1 tbsp of your favourite fruit purée, then

freeze for an easy ripple ice cream.

Freeze for minimum of 4 hours and allow to soften

for 10/15 minutes before serving

I added 1.5 tbsps of good quality lemon curd and served the ice cream with raspberries and then added a shortbread biscuit or two.

This ice cream is full of flavour and a silky texture, not sickly as with some ice creams. I've already mentioned that my friend is over from the USA – who has become an enthusiastic student. He does not do desserts other than ice cream and so considers himself to be a connoisseur in this field – a perfect taster! The recipe is winging its way to the USA as we speak – enough said I think.

Note to self – you might want to consider doubling the recipe – I think you'll be glad you did.

    

Yum!