SCRUMPTIOUS SEVEN

WHAT’S better than eating homemade ice cream on a hot day? Nothing really. Making ice cream at home is not as hard as you might think. With the right base you can experiment with different flavours. All these recipes make about one litre and all use the method of the vanilla bean recipe, while adding different flavours. If you can’t get your hands on an ice cream machine, you can place the mix in a bowl in the freezer and stir every hour until frozen.

1 cup milk 1 cup thickened cream cup castor sugar 6 egg yolks pinch sea salt 1 vanilla bean cut lengthways and scraped 5 drops vanilla extract.

Bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean, vanilla extract and half the sugar, to the boil in a heavy medium-size pot, then take off the heat. Whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Gradually pour in the milk mixture over the eggs, whisking as you go. Return mix to the same pot used to heat the milk mixture. Over low heat continuously stir with spatula until the base starts to thicken in 5-10 minutes. Push through a fine mesh strainer into bowl, then refrigerate until cold. Process the base in an ice cream machine (to manufacturer instructions).

1 cup milk 1 cup thickened cream cup castor sugar 6 egg yolks pinch sea salt 4tsp green tea powder (you can buy this at Asian supermarkets).

Follow the same method as the vanilla bean recipe and simply add the green tea powder in with the egg and sugar mix. Complete as per the instructions above.

1 cup milk 1 cup thickened cream cup castor sugar 6 egg yolks pinch sea salt 2 cups blueberries. Place blueberries in a pot with cup of the sugar and the salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once softened blend together until smooth. Follow the vanilla bean recipe above and add puree to milk mix before straining. Complete as per the instructions for the vanilla bean base.

1 cup milk 1 cup thickened cream cup castor sugar 6 egg yolks pinch sea salt 5 drops vanilla extract 1 packet Oreo biscuits. Follow the same method as the vanilla bean recipe. Once the base is cooled, crush biscuits, add to mix, put in ice cream machine.

1 cup milk 1 cup thickened cream cup castor sugar 6 egg yolks pinch sea salt 2 mangos peeled and deseeded zest of 1 lime cup unsalted macadamia nuts, roasted and crushed. Follow the vanilla bean recipe. When base thickens remove from stove, place mix in blender with mango flesh, lime zest. Blend until smooth. When cooled in fridge, add nuts, put in ice cream machine.