Plum pudding ice cream

Chef: Darina Allen

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Not everyone loves the traditional plum pudding, so here’s an alternative. If you’d rather not have the booze, omit it.

75g candied peel

50g raisins, diced

50g sultanas, diced

25g crystallised ginger, diced

6 glacé cherries, cut into quarters

Grated rind of 1 orange

Grated rind of 1 lemon

5 tbsp Harvey’s Bristol Cream sherry (optional)

Ice cream:

4 egg yolks, preferably free-range and organic

110g sugar

225ml water

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1.2l softly whipped cream

Decoration:

150ml whipped cream

Glacé cherries and diamonds of angelica or a sprig of holly dusted with icing sugar

Mix the candied peel, raisins, sultanas, crystallised ginger, glacé cherries and the orange and lemon zest in a bowl.

Add the sherry (if using), cover and allow to macerate for several hours, or better still, overnight.

To make the vanilla ice cream, put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy (keep the whites for meringues).

Combine the sugar and water in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Stir over the heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove the spoon and boil the syrup until it reaches the thread stage, 106°–113°C. It will look thick and syrupy, and when a metal spoon is dipped in, the last drops of syrup will form thin threads.

Pour this boiling syrup in a steady stream onto the egg yolks, whisking all the time.

Add the vanilla extract and continue to whisk until it becomes a thick, creamy mousse. Fold the softly whipped cream into the mousse, pour into a shallow plastic box and freeze.

When the ice cream is semi-frozen, scatter the macerated fruit over the surface and fold it in carefully. Fill into a 1.7l or 3 pint pudding bowl, cover and freeze until fully frozen.

To serve, dip the bowl in hot water for a few seconds and turn out onto a chilled serving plate.

Pipe a ruff of whipped cream around it, decorate with glacé cherries and angelica or a sprig of holly dusted with icing sugar. Serve on chilled plates.

Serves
10-12

Preparation Time
15 minutes

Cooking Time
10 minutes

Main ingredients
Dairy, Eggs, Alcohol, Sugar

Recipe Type
Dessert, Family Dinners

Level of Difficulty
Moderately Easy

image via Pinterest