Banana sundae



Fish Market-By Rosie Birkett-The ice-cream sundae that kids’ dreams are made of, though most adults will appreciate its charms too…

Skye Gyngell’s date-and-sherry ice-cream



Jason Lowe (How I Cook, Quadrille Publishing)-This simple custard-based ice-cream has a wonderfully rich, caramel flavour and a soft, silky texture. Pedro Ximénez is a luxurious, complex and sticky variety of sherry, tasting of dried fruit – raisins, prunes and dates, which it is paired with here. It’s never worth making ice-cream in small quantities, so this recipe will provide enough for two meals for four. Eat within a couple of days of making. Serves 8 450ml double cream 150ml whole milk 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways 6 large organic free-range egg yolks 120g caster sugar 120g good quality dates such as Medjool 100ml Pedro Ximénez sherry Method Pour the cream and milk into a heavy-based saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them to the creamy milk with the empty pod. Place over a low heat and gently bring to just below the boil. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15–20 minutes. Take out the vanilla pod. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, using a whisk, until pale and thick. Gently reheat the creamy milk and pour slowly onto the whisked egg yolk mixture, stirring with the whisk as you do so. Return the custard to the clean saucepan and place over the lowest possible heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir gently in a figure-of-eight motion until the custard thickens – this will take up to 10 minutes. The custard is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon. At this point immediately remove from the heat and strain the custard through a fine sieve into a cold bowl. Leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, stone the dates and chop the flesh as finely as possible; place in a bowl. Warm the sherry very slightly in a pan and then pour over the chopped fruit. Set aside to macerate. Once the custard is completely cool, pour into an ice-cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice-cream begins to set, add the date and sherry mixture and continue to churn for another 10 minutes. Transfer the ice-cream to a freezer-proof container and place in the freezer until needed. Scoop into pretty glass dishes to serve.

Honey ice-cream with honeycomb and toasted almonds



Ruby Violet's Ice-cream Dreams by Julie Fisher (Hardie Grant)-This recipe contains no eggs, so is ideal for those with an egg intolerance. Serves 4 For the ice-cream 500ml double cream 250ml whole milk 150g local honey 40g flaked almonds For the honeycomb 150g granulated (raw) sugar 50g local honey 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda Method Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan. Once boiling, remove from the heat and add the honey. Stir well to mix and leave to cool down to 4C within 90 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, until lightly coloured, but not burnt. While the ice-cream mix is cooling, line a baking tray with a silicone mat and make the honeycomb. Spread the sugar over the base of a saucepan then add the honey and 1 tablespoon of water. Bring to the boil while stirring gently to allow the sugar to dissolve. Once the temperature reaches 150C, quickly add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk until it is just mixed in. Do not overmix. Swiftly pour the foaming syrup on to the prepared baking tray. Do not spread or disturb it, as this will cause it to deflate. Let it stand until cool to the touch – for about 10 minutes. Break into pieces and transfer immediately to an airtight container to preserve the crispness. To use the honeycomb, scatter a handful of small pieces into the ice-cream maker 5 minutes before the end of the churning time; alternatively, ripple through once the ice-cream is churned. Serve the ice-cream with the toasted almonds and more honeycomb pieces.

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