Eating in: It's easier than you might think to make ice cream, writes Hugo Arnold
Nothing beats home-made ice cream. It's far easier to make than you might think, and you can use almost any flavouring you wish. Use good cream and you should end up with deliciously rich dairy notes. If you go the Italian route - and to my mind Italians are the masters - you can ditch the cream in favour of eggs and more milk, which gives a less rich but denser result. Buying an ice-cream machine will make your life easier, but it is not essential. Far better to be sure you need one before splashing out.
BLUEBERRY AND RICOTTA ICE CREAM
450g fresh ricotta
125g blueberries
150g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon
Whizz the ricotta in a food processor to make it smooth. Set aside. Combine the blueberries with a tablespoon of the sugar in a saucepan and cook briefly, so the blueberries just start to collapse. Combine the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a bowl (any kind will do) and whisk until pale and thick. Fold in the ricotta, blueberry mixture and lemon zest, then freeze, turning a couple of times to stop ice crystals forming.
TOFFEE ICE CREAM
200g caster sugar
200ml whipping cream
375ml full-cream milk
1 vanilla pod, split
3 egg yolks
Put 75g of the sugar in a shallow pan over a gentle heat to melt. It helps if the pan has a light-coloured interior, so you can see the colour of the sugar as it cooks. Swill the melting sugar around as it melts, to ensure it does not catch - and be careful, too, that it doesn't burn. When you have a good dark brown colour, remove from the heat and gradually add the cream. The concoction will bubble up, so take care. Return to the heat and gently cook out any lumps that may have formed. Set aside. Combine the milk and the vanilla pod, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Whisk the remaining sugar with the egg yolks and pour over the milk, holding back the vanilla pod. Transfer to a clean saucepan and place over a medium heat, stirring all the time. You need to thicken but not overcook the eggs. Pour through a sieve into a clean bowl (any kind will do). Stir in the reserved cream and freeze, stirring every 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving.