Ice-cream sandwiches

SICILIAN STYLE WITH BERRIES, NUTS & MELTED CHOCOLATE Mastering a soft, spongy, delicate brioche bun is a good technique to have up your sleeve. You can, of course, leave out the sugar and make these buns for burgers or sandwiches, but here, served hot with melting ice cream, gooey chocolate, berries and other bits – what can I say, it’s an absolute treat. Very naughty, very nice. SERVES 12 50 MINUTES, PLUS PROVING 150ml whole milk

½ x 7g sachet of dried yeast 300g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting 200g Tipo 00 flour 60g golden caster sugar 60g unsalted butter (cold), plus extra for brushing 2 large free-range eggs olive oil icing sugar, for dusting FILLINGS ice cream, chocolate, cream, seasonal berries, your favourite nuts – get creative!

Pour the milk into the pan with 75ml of water and heat until just warm. Stir in the yeast and put aside. Sieve the flours into a large mixing bowl with the sugar and 10g of sea salt. Cube the butter and rub into the dry mixture with your fingertips until it resembles crumbs. Pour in the milk, crack in the eggs, and mix with your fingers into a loose, sticky dough, moving it for 4 minutes until shiny. It’s a wet dough, but it will come together! Tip it on to a clean surface, pick it up and throw it down, then repeat about 40 times. Some dough will stick, but just scrape it back up as you go. You should end up with a smooth, elastic dough that comes off the surface and your hands easily. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave at room temperature for 2 hours until doubled in size.

Tip the dough on to a flour-dusted surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape into balls, then roll into little fat rounds or cigars and place on baking trays lined with greaseproof paper. Cover and leave to rise for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter, then transfer to a wire rack.

Now the fun bit – the fillings! Get yourself a few different tubs of ice cream – vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, salted caramel, lemon, you name it. Toast and bash or chop nuts to create different textures. Line up a bowl of chocolate sauce and whipped cream, plus some seasonal berries, and go to town. Dust with icing sugar, and devour. NUTRITION PER SERVING 220 kcal; 6.1g fat (3.3g saturated); 6.9g protein; 36g carbs; 6.5g sugars; 0.9g salt; 1.3g fibre