This luxurious ice cream, with ripples of fresh strawberry purée running through it, can be made easily without a machine. Both the ice cream and extra sauce can be frozen for up to a month.
Serves 4
Special equipment
Freezerproof container, about 1 quart (1–1.2 liters) capacity
4 large egg yolks
1⁄2 cup (115 g) granulated sugar
11⁄4 cups (300 ml) whole milk
3⁄4 cup (200 ml) heavy cream
1⁄2 cup (100 g) mascarpone
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz (225 g) strawberries, hulled and chopped
2 tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam or conserve
1. Make a rich custard: put the egg yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl and whisk using a balloon whisk until thick, light, and fluffy, and the mixture leaves a trail when the whisk is lifted. Gently warm the milk in a medium pan over low heat until hand-hot, then gradually whisk the milk into the egg mixture.
2. Pour the mixture back into the pan (rinse it out first so the mixture doesn’t burn) and heat gently over low to medium–low heat, whisking all the time, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (this can take about 10 minutes). Do not boil, or the eggs will curdle.
3. Pour the custard into a heatproof bowl and let it cool slightly, then cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming). Refrigerate for several hours until completely cold, preferably overnight.
4. Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl and lightly whisk using a wire whisk. Stir 2 tablespoons of the custard into the mascarpone, to loosen. Slowly stir the chilled custard into the heavy cream, then the mascarpone/custard mix and the vanilla extract. Pour into the freezerproof container and freeze for about 3 hours. (See Make a smooth, creamy base.)
5. Meanwhile, put the strawberries in a large bowl with the jam and blend using a handheld blender to a smooth purée. Press through a fine sieve into a bowl and chill until needed. (See Add the fruity ripples, step 1.)
6. Once the ice cream is starting to freeze around the edges of the container, stir it well. Freeze again for another 2–3 hours or until more thickly frozen. Stir, then transfer the ice cream to a food processor and process briefly. Put the ice cream back in the freezerproof container and freeze for another 1–2 hours. (See Freeze the ice cream.)
7. Stir the ice cream, then pour in just under half the purée (a little at a time) and gently swirl it into the ice cream so it ripples through rather than being completely mixed in (see Add the fruity ripples, step 2.)
8. Freeze for another 3 hours or until firm enough to scoop. If the ice cream becomes quite firm (that is, if it has been frozen for several days), take it out of the freezer and bring to room temperature for 10 minutes before serving, to make scooping easier. Serve with the rest of the sauce.
MASCARPONE AND STRAWBERRY RIPPLE ICE CREAM
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Make a smooth, creamy base
1 As this recipe is made by hand rather than in an ice-cream maker, I like to lightly whisk the heavy cream to create extra lightness. You don’t want to whisk too stiffly, just briefly until it’s light and floppy and holds a soft shape. Stir the chilled custard into the cream, then the mascarpone and vanilla. As the mascarpone is quite thick, it will blend in more easily if you mix a little of the custard into it first.
2 Pour the custard and cream mixture into a rigid freezerproof container with a capacity of about 1 quart (1–1.2 liters). You want the mixture to almost fill the container, leaving about 1⁄4in (5mm) for expansion during freezing. If there is too much space between the lid and the surface of the ice cream, ice crystals will start to form.
Freeze the ice cream
1 When the ice cream starts to freeze around the edges of the container, use a fork to scrape the partly frozen crystals from the edge and mix them in with the softer ice cream in the middle. Stir until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
2 When making ice cream by hand, I’ve found that processing it in a food processor after it has been in the freezer for a few hours gives it a really good texture. Stir the ice cream a couple of times before processing, and don’t process it for long—just enough to make it smooth and so more of the ice crystals are broken down.
3 Since putting the ice cream in the processor softens it, return it to its container and freeze for another hour or two, until it’s thick enough to ripple the strawberry sauce through. The ice cream is ready to be rippled once it feels quite thick when stirred, but not too solidly frozen.
Add the fruity ripples
1 The strawberries must be dry before you purée them, or the sauce will be too runny. Use a handheld blender, as this works best for a small amount. I’ve sweetened with jam rather than sugar, to deepen the color and intensify the fruity flavor. After puréeing, press through a nylon sieve, using the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much of the pulp as you can; this will help thicken the sauce.
2 Use just under half the sauce for the ripples (the rest can be served with the ice cream), pouring or spooning it over the top in batches, then stirring gently through with a dessert spoon (in between pourings) to create swirls of sauce all through the ice cream. If you add too much too quickly and stir it in too vigorously, you will lose the effect of the ripples.
If you prefer to use an ice-cream maker instead of making the ice cream by hand, there is no need to whisk the heavy cream. Simply stir it into the chilled custard with the mascarpone and vanilla. Once the ice cream has been churned, transfer it to a freezerproof container and ripple the sauce through as described below, before returning it to the freezer to finish freezing.