It's hot and I'm LOVING it. It's perfect ice cream weather.
My ice cream churning machine is a favourite kitchen gadget. Smooth, soft ice cream can be mine in under an hour, so I regularly use it. If you do not have an ice cream maker you can still make delicious ice cream – it just takes a bit longer.
Plums and ginger are a perfect combination, and the crunchy, cinnamon crumble makes a great topping. If the ice cream is not enough of a challenge, try serving it in a sandwich. Simply freeze the ice cream in a shallow tray about 2 inches deep, and cut rounds of it out with a biscuit cutter. Serve the ice cream patty between two thin, ginger snap biscuits.
Ingredients:
450g dark plums, about 8 large plums quartered and pitted
120g soft light brown sugar
3 tbsp syrup from a jar of stem ginger
90ml water
250ml double cream
1 – 2 balls stem ginger very finely chopped
For the crumble topping:
80g plain white flour
60g butter
60g soft light brown sugar
½ level tsp ground cinnamon
Method:
For the ice cream: put the plums, sugar, ginger syrup and water in a pan and simmer until soft – 10 to 15 minutes – until tender. Puree in a blender.
Stir in the chopped ginger and double cream. Refrigerate until cold, then churn in an ice cream maker in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour into a container with a lid and freeze for about 1 ½ to 2 hours until the outer edges of the mixture are solid and the centre still liquid. Beat well until it is all slushy then return it to the freezer. Repeat after 1 ½ - 2 hours. After another 1 ½ - 2 hours it should be frozen, so give it a final blitz in a food processor until smooth. Return to the freezer to firm up.
To make the crumble topping: preheat your oven to 190°C. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and rub the butter into the flour until it comes together to form little crumbly lumps of dough the size of peas.
Line a baking sheet with silicone and sprinkle with the crumble mixture. Bake for about 10 minutes and leave to cool.
Serve the ice cream sprinkled with the crumble topping.
