Blackberry Ripple Ice-Cream

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Christmas is now over and all the lovely food that follows.  Pretty sure I ate a little too much and there is way too chocolate in my house at the moment…but I guess it is a problem I will have to live with.

So my family of three are not big party-goers.  To tell you the truth I have never felt compelled to live it up on New Year’s Eve.  However, I do like to mark the occasion with a little something if possible.

So this year we invited our friend and her daughter over to share an evening of Thai food (McD’s for the kids – a shame), laughs, fireworks and dessert.  Isn’t it nice to spend an evening with friends who have the ability to slip right into your family and make it seem they have always been there.  That’s how it was for us this NYE and I am thankful.

So…the food!  I have always thought making my own ice-cream as a little daunting and something only really clever people made (or those with ice cream makers).  But in the recent edition of Australian Good Food there was a recipe for Blackberry ripple ice-cream.  The claim was that it would be easy to make with children.  Sounded simple enough.  My son decided an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants was of more interest, so the ice-cream making was left up to me.

Ingredients

400g frozen blackberries

100ml apple juice

220g caster sugar

500ml thickened cream

395g can sweetened condensed milk

2tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the blackberries and apple juice in a small saucepan on medium heat.  Bring to a simmer.  Cook for 5 mins, until blackberries soften.  Add caster sugar and stir until sugar dissolves.  Increase to high heat and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to a medium-low and simmer for 5-6mins, until syrup thickens slightly.  Remove from heat and cool completely.

2.Puree cooled blackberries and syrup in a blender or food processor.  Strain through a fine sieve, discarding seeds.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form.  Add condensed milk and vanilla extract and beat until soft peaks form.  Pour cream mixture into a 24 x 14cm loaf pan (I used a pyrex dish – worked a treat)!  Drizzle over blackberry mixture and using a metal spatula or knife, stir mixture three times in a figure 8 (oe whatever you like – still looks good).  Be careful not too over mix.  Cover with foil and freeze overnight.

4. Serve and enjoy.

All frozen and ready to be eaten.

Delicious

I guess I expected that there would be ice crystals in this ice-cream due to the fact that I didn’t use a machine.  But this was not the case.  There was not one ice crystal in sight.  Only a delectable creaminess which complemented the delightful berry swirl which was present in every bite.

For a simple dessert to offer friends I can not recommend this strongly enough.  Friends will be impressed that you took the time to actually make the ice cream and you will feel that wonderful sense of satisfaction, joy and a hint of smugness that you managed to do it too!

As a side note my wonderful hubby bought me two cookbooks for Christmas!!!  Two!!!  One of them I wanted desperately.

Nigella is always a winner with me.  She speaks my language when it comes to food.  She is unashamedly in love with food and so very proud to say so.  Love you!!

And the other book I received was a complete surprise. Foodies of the World .  I had never heard of it but it inspired me and made me excited about the possibilities of the year ahead.  It’s all about different food bloggers from around the world, a little about their blog and a few sample recipes.  The recipes appear easy and quite possible in your kitchen.

Hubby also surprised me with a gift voucher to a Gourmet Food Safari – the director of company is non other that Maeve O”Meara from Food Safari!!!  Check out the website and see what’s in store.  I’ll be going with Bells of course!!!!

Thanks Hubby!!!  You know me so well.

2011 is off to a good start.

Delly