Rounding up my ice cream series with variations on a theme, and two sauces. This is also a good place to point out my favourite way of using up the leftover egg whites - not meringues but rather my Dark Chocolate Orange Mousse.
Variations
Omit the bay leaves from my bay leaf ice cream and flavour the basic mix with one
of the following:
• a pinch of saffron threads, which you have dry fried for 30 seconds.
• with 4 lg egg yolks: 6 heads of lavender, or 4 heads of lavender and 160g lavender
honey instead of the sugar; strain out the lavender before freezing
• the seeds of vanilla 1.5 pods; strain or not, as you wish, before freezing
• with 40g sugar: 100g of finely chopped crystallised ginger and 3tbsp ginger wine, or 80g
finely chopped stem ginger and 4 tbsp of the syrup
• mulled wine spices (1 muslin bag, enough for 1 bottle of wine); remove before freezing
• 6 sprigs of mint (roughly 13cm each); strain before freezing
Chocolate sauce
200g dark choc (60-70% cocoa solids)
100ml very strong coffee, freshly made
60g caster sugar
100ml whipping or double cream
1 tbsp brandy (optional)
15g butter (optional)
Break up the chocolate and melt it in a basin over a shallow pan of simmering water (the
water mustn’t touch the basin). Stir in the coffee, which should still be warm, the sugar and
cream. Stir in the brandy and/or butter, if using.
Summer berry sauce
400g of mixed summer berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries etc) or
raspberries only, either frozen or fresh
3-4 tbsp caster sugar
2-3 tbsp crème de cassis
Heat the berries (with a tablespoon of water if they are fresh) and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the sugar, then the crème de cassis. Adjust sweetness to taste and serve warm or
cold. If you prefer a smoooth sauce, liquidise or process very briefly, then sieve.