We all scream for ice cream
Summer wouldn't be the same without ice cream - even if it means avoiding the drips from a melting cone!
Ice cream has to be one of summer's essentials - whether it's that cornet melting deliciously in the heat of the sun, a snowy dollop on top of a bowl of strawberries, or a short cut to magically banish the blues.
Nowadays, while there are a huge number of ice creams on offer, with flavours to suit any taste from sweet to savoury, some of the top quality ices can be pricey.
But making your own isn't difficult or expensive says chef and ice cream addict Chris Tanner who with his brother, James has whipped up a feast of ice creams in a new book, Ice Cream.
Everyone loves ice cream.
It's the ultimate comfort food and the perfect finale to a meal. But although there are some very good commercially-made varieties, there's nothing quite like making your own.
An ice cream machine takes all the hard work of making ice cream but an equally good ice cream can be made without one. The secret to a smooth ice cream is to beat the mixture well, to break down any ice crystals that form during the churning process. The other secret to success is to use the freshest ingredients.
The book is packed with classic treats and innovative ones from a Vanilla or a Sicilian Bombe, to the biblical-sounding Milk And Honey Ice Cream. There are other recipes for the Italian speciality semi-freddo, such as the unusual Maple And Lavender to the traditional cassata semi-freddo.
If these aren't mouth-watering enough there's a section on frozen desserts and sorbets as well as savoury ices with intriguing flavours like tomato ice, avocado, sweetcorn, and goat's cheese and balsamic ripple.
Iced Irish cream souffle
(Serves 6-8)
100g white chocolate, broken into pieces
850ml double cream
250g caster sugar
15 egg yolks
200ml Irish cream or Baileys
1 vanilla pod (bean)
Line eight-centimetre diameter ramekins with greaseproof (waxed) paper, making sure the paper is
double the height of the ramekins.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then set aside. Whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks,then set aside in the fridge.
Place the caster sugar in a heavy-based saucepan, just cover with water and heat gently. When the temperature reaches 100°C, begin whisking the egg yolks until they are pale and fluffy.
When the syrup reaches 116°C remove from the heat and slowly pour into the egg yolks, continuing to whisk on a high speed until the mixture is cool.
Gently warm the Irish cream in a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds into the Irish cream, then stir into the melted chocolate. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, followed by the whipped cream.
Pour into the prepared ramekins and freeze for at least eight hours. To serve, carefully remove the paper and, using a teaspoon, remove a spoonful of souffle from the centre. Pour in a little Irish cream just before you bring to the table.
Strawberry clotted cream ice cream
(Serves 6-8)
300ml double cream
300ml whole milk
12 eggs
240g caster sugar
1 kg fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
75g icing sugar
Juice of half a lemon
150ml water
300g clotted cream
Pour the double cream and milk into a saucepan, bring almost to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until they become pale and fluffy. Pour the milk and cream on to the egg and sugar mix, stirring all the time.
Pour the mixture into a heavy-based saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring all the time until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. (Under no circumstances let the mixture boil or it will curdle.)
Strain through a sieve into a large bowl and allow it to cool.
Place the strawberries in a blender with the icing sugar, lemon juice and water and blitz until smooth, then pass through a sieve.
Fold the strawberry mixture into the cooled custard mixture, then pour into an ice cream machine and churn. Just as the mixture begins to pull together, add the clotted cream and continue to churn until the mixture becomes smooth. Freeze until firm.
Alternatively, freeze the strawberry and custard mixture in an uncovered freezer-proof container for one to two hours until it begins to set around the edges. Turn into a bowl and stir with a fork until smooth, or blend in a food processor.
Return to the freezer for a further two to three hours until firm, then cover with a lid. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and place, with the clotted cream, in a food processor and blend until smooth. Freeze until firm.
Tips for top ices
• Good quality eggs add richness and vibrant colour to ice cream, so try to use organic or free range, particularly for vanilla ice cream.
• When combined with milk, sugar and cream, eggs act as a stabiliser to bring the ingredients together and bonding them as a base custard to which any number of sweet and savoury flavours can be added to create imaginative ice creams.
• A perfect egg custard base ensures perfect results so take care making one. Sugar and salt burn on contact with egg yolk, so they must be beaten in immediately with a whisk or spatula until completely mixed.
• When pouring hot liquid onto beaten egg yolks, remember you don't want to scald the eggs, otherwise this will affect your end product. Take care to always heat your custard base over a gentle flame so that the mixture doesn't split or curdle.
Nowadays, while there are a huge number of ice creams on offer, with flavours to suit any taste from sweet to savoury, some of the top quality ices can be pricey.
But making your own isn't difficult or expensive says chef and ice cream addict Chris Tanner who with his brother, James has whipped up a feast of ice creams in a new book, Ice Cream.
Everyone loves ice cream.
It's the ultimate comfort food and the perfect finale to a meal. But although there are some very good commercially-made varieties, there's nothing quite like making your own.
An ice cream machine takes all the hard work of making ice cream but an equally good ice cream can be made without one. The secret to a smooth ice cream is to beat the mixture well, to break down any ice crystals that form during the churning process. The other secret to success is to use the freshest ingredients.
The book is packed with classic treats and innovative ones from a Vanilla or a Sicilian Bombe, to the biblical-sounding Milk And Honey Ice Cream. There are other recipes for the Italian speciality semi-freddo, such as the unusual Maple And Lavender to the traditional cassata semi-freddo.
If these aren't mouth-watering enough there's a section on frozen desserts and sorbets as well as savoury ices with intriguing flavours like tomato ice, avocado, sweetcorn, and goat's cheese and balsamic ripple.
Iced Irish cream souffle
(Serves 6-8)
100g white chocolate, broken into pieces
850ml double cream
250g caster sugar
15 egg yolks
200ml Irish cream or Baileys
1 vanilla pod (bean)
Line eight-centimetre diameter ramekins with greaseproof (waxed) paper, making sure the paper is
double the height of the ramekins.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then set aside. Whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks,then set aside in the fridge.
Place the caster sugar in a heavy-based saucepan, just cover with water and heat gently. When the temperature reaches 100°C, begin whisking the egg yolks until they are pale and fluffy.
When the syrup reaches 116°C remove from the heat and slowly pour into the egg yolks, continuing to whisk on a high speed until the mixture is cool.
Gently warm the Irish cream in a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds into the Irish cream, then stir into the melted chocolate. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, followed by the whipped cream.
Pour into the prepared ramekins and freeze for at least eight hours. To serve, carefully remove the paper and, using a teaspoon, remove a spoonful of souffle from the centre. Pour in a little Irish cream just before you bring to the table.
Strawberry clotted cream ice cream
(Serves 6-8)
300ml double cream
300ml whole milk
12 eggs
240g caster sugar
1 kg fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
75g icing sugar
Juice of half a lemon
150ml water
300g clotted cream
Pour the double cream and milk into a saucepan, bring almost to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until they become pale and fluffy. Pour the milk and cream on to the egg and sugar mix, stirring all the time.
Pour the mixture into a heavy-based saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring all the time until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. (Under no circumstances let the mixture boil or it will curdle.)
Strain through a sieve into a large bowl and allow it to cool.
Place the strawberries in a blender with the icing sugar, lemon juice and water and blitz until smooth, then pass through a sieve.
Fold the strawberry mixture into the cooled custard mixture, then pour into an ice cream machine and churn. Just as the mixture begins to pull together, add the clotted cream and continue to churn until the mixture becomes smooth. Freeze until firm.
Alternatively, freeze the strawberry and custard mixture in an uncovered freezer-proof container for one to two hours until it begins to set around the edges. Turn into a bowl and stir with a fork until smooth, or blend in a food processor.
Return to the freezer for a further two to three hours until firm, then cover with a lid. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and place, with the clotted cream, in a food processor and blend until smooth. Freeze until firm.
Tips for top ices
• Good quality eggs add richness and vibrant colour to ice cream, so try to use organic or free range, particularly for vanilla ice cream.
• When combined with milk, sugar and cream, eggs act as a stabiliser to bring the ingredients together and bonding them as a base custard to which any number of sweet and savoury flavours can be added to create imaginative ice creams.
• A perfect egg custard base ensures perfect results so take care making one. Sugar and salt burn on contact with egg yolk, so they must be beaten in immediately with a whisk or spatula until completely mixed.
• When pouring hot liquid onto beaten egg yolks, remember you don't want to scald the eggs, otherwise this will affect your end product. Take care to always heat your custard base over a gentle flame so that the mixture doesn't split or curdle.