SOUR CHERRY, PISTACHIO and CHOCOLATE PARFAIT

A parfait is a great way to enjoy ice cream at home without the need for an ice-cream machine. This one is studded with dried sour cherries, dark chocolate and pistachios, but you could use any combination of dried fruits and nuts that take your fancy. Serve in scoops or freeze in a loaf tin and serve as slices.

Preparation Time 20 minutes, plus freezing | Cooking Time 10 minutes | Serves 12

9 egg yolks

250 g (9 oz/generous 1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

600 ml (21 fl oz) thickened (whipping) cream

250 g (9 oz/1 cup) crème fraîche

80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve

100 g (3½ oz/²/₃ cup) dried sour cherries, coarsely chopped

80 g (2¾ oz) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped, plus extra coarsely grated to serve

Raspberries, to serve

RASPBERRY COULIS

250 g (9 oz) raspberries

2 tablespoons icing (confectioners’) sugar

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla seeds in a heatproof bowl to combine, then place over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl) and whisk for 6–8 minutes until very pale and the mixture doubles in volume. Transfer to an electric mixer and whisk for 8–10 minutes until cool.

Whisk the thickened cream and crème fraîche until stiff peaks form, then fold into the cooled egg mixture, along with the pistachios, dried cherries and chocolate. Transfer to a container, cover and freeze overnight (and for up to 2 weeks).

To make the raspberry coulis, blend the raspberries and icing sugar in a food processor to a smooth purée, then pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and refrigerate until required.

Serve scoops of parfait in chilled bowls with raspberry coulis, scattered with extra pistachios, chocolate and raspberries.