Ice Cream Recipes From the Orient

Gooseberry and Elderflower Sorbet

Ingredients

12 freshly picked elderflower heads
600ml boiling water
100g granulated sugar
150ml cold water
175 gooseberries
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Cover the elderflower heads with the boiling water and leave to infuse for 1 hour, then strain through a sieve or muslin.
Place the sugar and remaining water in a saucepan and dissolve over a gentle heat.
Add the gooseberries and bring to the boil. cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, then cool and purée in a mixer.( If you want you can, pass the purée through a sieve or muslin to remove the seeds.
Add the elderflower water and lemon juice and freeze in an ice-cream machine, or, freeze in a rigid container until half-frozen, then beat well and freeze again until required.
Soften the sorbet slightly. using a piping bag, fitted with a large star nozzle, pipe the sorbet into glasses, sprinkle with elder flower blossoms, if desired.

Rose Petal and Strawberry Ice Cream

Serve 8

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
300ml single ice cream
25g scented red or pink rose petals, rinsed
225g ripe strawberries, chopped
2 tbsp rosewater
1 tbsp lemon juice
300 ml double cream, lightly whipped

Method

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until white.
bring the single cream close to boil and pour on to the eggs mixture.
Cook slowly in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the custard has thickened.
Add the strawberries, rosewater and lemon juice to the custard and purée in a mixer.
Fold in the whipped cream and freeze in a rigid container until half-frozen, then beat well and freeze again until required, or, freeze in an ice-cream machine.

Mango and Lime Sorbet

Ingredients

350 firm, but ripe, mangoes
100g granulated sugar
250 ml water
pared rind and juice of 2 limes
blanched lime julienne soaked in sugar syrup, to decorate

Method

Wipe the mango skins, then score the fruits through the centre with a sharp knife and twist the 2 halves of each mango apart. catch any juice in a bowl. Carefully scoop out the flesh from each half and cut all the fruit from the stones.
Purée the fruit in a mixer. Freeze the 4 half-skins.
Dissolve the sugar and water in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Add the rind and bring to the boils.
Cook for 5 minutes. cool and strain, then add the mango purée and lime juice.
Freeze in a rigid container until half-frozen, then beat well and freeze again until required, or, freeze in an ice-cream machine.
If you want you can decorate the top of each sorbet with a sprinkling of blanched lime julienne soaked in sugar syrup.

White Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients

150g bar of white chocolate
300 ml milk
25 castor sugar 300 ml double cream, lightly whipped.

Method

Break the chocolate into pieces, then place in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water with the milk and sugar and heat until the chocolate has melted.
Leave to cool. Fold in the whipped cream and freeze in a rigid container until half-frozen, then beat well and freeze again until required, or, freeze in an ice-cream machine.

Fig and Port Ice Cream

Ingredients

serve 4

125 g caster sugar
155 ml ruby port
4 cm cinnamon stick
6 fresh figs
4 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
315 ml thick cream
fresh fig slices and mint leaves, to decorate

Method

Place sugar and port in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until sugar has melted. Brings to the boil, then add cinnamon stick and figs, cover and cook very gently for 5 minutes. leave the figs in the marinade, still covered, until they are completely cold.
Transfer figs and liquor to a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth.
Pour mixture into a sieve over a wooden spoon. Stir in lime juice.
Whip cream until thick, then fold into fig purée until evenly blended. Pour mixture into a plastic container, cover and freeze for 1-2 hours, until almost frozen.
Return mixture to food processor and process until thick and smooth. Return to plastic container and freeze until firm. Scoop ice cream to serve, then decorate.

Chilled Rose Soufflés

Ingredients
make 6

2 gelatine leaves or 1/2 sachet powder gelatin
180ml milk
5 medium egg yolks
125g cater sugar
1 tbsp rosewater
pink or red food colouring liquid or paste (optional)
300ml whipping cream

to serve
2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios
rose petals, to decorate

Method

Cut the gelatin leaves into wide strips, place in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 5 minutes, then drain.
Bring the milk to the boil in a small nonstick pan.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, then whisk in the milk.
Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens into a thin custard that coats the back of a spoon. Pass this through a sieve on to the gelatine and stir to dissolve, then stir in the rose water.

If you like, colour the custard pink with a little food colouring.

Cover the surface with clingfilm and leave to cool completely, about one hour.

Using an electric whisk, whip the cream in a large bowl until stiff, then fold in the custard in two goes.
Divide the mousse among 6x150ml ramekins or other suitable dessert dishes.

Place the ramekin in a roasting dish or on a small tray, cover with clingfilm and chill overnight until set. Before serving, scatter pistachios over each Soufflé. decorate with rose petals.

A Little Crush Mint Granita

Ingredients
serve 4

50g mint leaves
250g mineral water
45g caster sugar

Method

Blanch the mint leaves by plunging then briefly into boiling water until they turn bright green.
Drain immediately, then refresh under cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a sealable container no more than a couple of inches deep, then put in the freezer.
Every half-hour or so, stir the freezing mixture with a fork. The more the mix is stirred, the smoother the resulting granita will be. After three or four stirs, freeze for 1 hour. Serve straightaway or leave it in the freezer until wanted. Just before serving, you may want to stir through once with a fork.

For a special treat, you can, add just before serving a splash of Créme de Menthe

Ice Cream Recipes From The Orient