Plum Pudding Ice -

Plum Pudding Ice

Ingredients

2 oz currants
4 oz stoned raisins
½ oz blanched almonds
½ oz candied orange peel
1 oz glacé cherries
½ wine glass brandy, or rum

For cream ice mixture

6 oz plain block chocolate, or 2 oz cocoa and 2½ fl oz cold water
1 pint single, or ½ pint single and ½ pint double, cream
2 oz granulated sugar
2½ fl oz water
3 egg yolks

To decorate

Whipped double cream (flavoured with brandy, or rum)

Method

First prepare the fruit. Wash the currants and raisins well, finely shred the almonds and candied orange peel and rinse the cherries to get rid of some of the heavy syrup. Pour over the brandy (or rum) and leave fruit to macerate for 1-2 hours.

To prepare the cream ice mixture: dissolve chocolate in the single cream over gentle heat. If using cocoa, mix with the cold water and cook to a thick cream, then add this to the single cream and scald.

Make an egg mousse with the sugar, water and yolks (see Vanilla cream ice 2) and add to the cream; if using double cream as well, whip it lightly and add to the mousse mixture. Chill in the refrigerator.

When the mixture is chilled, turn it into a churn freezer and churn until very thick. Then add the fruit and continue to churn until really firm. Remove the dasher and pack down.

Serve cream ice on a chilled serving dish scooped out in the form of a plum pudding. Decorate, if wished, with a ruff of whipped cream, flavoured with brandy (or rum).

Related food category:

• Ices and Iced Desserts