Frozen Desserts

There’s far more to frozen desserts than ice cream alone. The Italians and French have some delicious alternatives, and sorbet, gelato, frozen yoghurt and granita should all be added to the mix. Frozen desserts are the perfect do-ahead dessert and a great choice when the weather is warm.

What’s in a name?

Frozen yoghurt is simply based on yoghurt, sugar and flavourings, such as fruit purées. Its texture isn’t as smooth as ice cream due to the lack of cream in the mixture, and it has a refreshing tangy flavour.

Granita, like sorbet, is usually based on a sugar syrup with the addition of a flavouring such as a fruit purée or juice, wine or coffee. The partially frozen mixture is scraped with a fork as it freezes to create large, uniformly sized ice crystals that provide its characteristic granular texture.

Ice cream is generally based on a stirred custard mixture of eggs, milk and/or cream, and sugar with the addition of various flavourings such as vanilla, chocolate or fruit purées. Italian ice cream is called gelato.

Parfait is a French concoction involving a custard-based ice cream mixture with whipped cream folded through. It is often frozen without being churned.

Semifreddo is an Italian frozen dessert similar to ice cream, but with a very high cream and/or sugar content which gives it a very smooth texture. Its rich character also means that it freezes to a softer consistency than traditional ice cream giving the illusion that it isn’t as cold, hence the Italian translation of ‘half cold’. The term semifreddo can also be used to describe a chilled or semi-frozen dessert made from ice cream, cake, custards, whipped cream and/or fruit.

Sorbet is generally based on a sugar syrup, or a sweetened fruit juice or purée, to which other flavourings are added. Sorbets have a high water content and no fat, making them a refreshing frozen dessert option.

Using an ice-cream machine

1  Always chill an ice-cream, sorbet or gelato mixture well before churning to reduce the churning time and to make sure the churning process is complete before the machine becomes too warm.

2  Don’t fill the machine’s bowl more than two-thirds full, as the mixture will increase in volume while it is being stirred and frozen.

3  The amount of time a mixture will take to churn depends upon the type and combination of ingredients in it, as well as the efficiency of the machine. Thirty minutes should generally be enough to churn a mixture to a thick, smooth consistency.

4  When the mixture has finished churning, immediately transfer it to a freezer-proof container (either metal, ceramic or plastic), cover well and place in the freezer until firm.

Making frozen desserts by hand

A smooth texture is what you’re after for home-made ice creams, gelati and sorbets. This is determined by the size of ice crystals that form during freezing — the smaller the ice crystals, the smoother the texture. An ice-cream machine stirs the mixture constantly while freezing it and this prevents large ice crystals from forming.

It is possible to make smooth-textured ice creams, gelati and sorbets without an ice-cream machine. Pour the prepared mixture into a freezer-proof container, seal well and freeze for 2–4 hours, until partially frozen (it will be firm around the edges but still relatively soft in the centre). Transfer the mixture to a food processor bowl and process until it is smooth but not melted (alternatively, put it in a chilled mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat) — this will break up the ice crystals and help create a smooth texture. Transfer the mixture immediately back to the freezer-proof container, reseal and freeze until it is completely frozen. Check the consistency of the mixture — depending on the type of frozen dessert it is and the combination of ingredients used, you may need to repeat the processing/beating process once or twice to reach the desired consistency.

Storing frozen desserts

Make sure all frozen desserts are tightly sealed when storing as they can easily pick up other flavours. The richer the mixture (the more cream, sugar and alcohol it contains), the longer it will keep for. Home-made ice creams, semifreddos, gelati and parfaits will keep well for up to 2 weeks. Sorbets, granitas and frozen yoghurts are best served within a week of making (granitas will often need scraping before serving as they solidify easily).