6 Easy & Delicious Christmas Ice Creams

Among all the rich, heavy, wintery rib-sticking traditional desserts Christmas ice cream can be quite a refreshing relief!

For years (and years and years) I have used a gobsmackingly easy method to make lush, rich, creamy dairy ice cream without having to do all sorts of irritating things!  

     ~   No fiddly custard making involved.

     ~   No ice cream machine needed.

    ~   No mashing of ice cream necessary whilst freezing.

I have been so pleased with this way of making ice cream that I wrote a book …

Luscious Ice Creams without a Machine gives over 100 ice cream recipes plus ancillary recipes for sauces, syrups, inclusions etc. and some sexy presentation ideas. 

Once you have this method under your belt, understand the importance of sugar in the recipes (including in the form of alcohol, happily) and how to use it properly, plus how to marble, ripple and add inclusions then creating your own ices is easy peasy.

Christmas Pudding Ice Cream

This (pictured above) is my absolute favourite Christmas Pud ice cream recipe ever and is one of my most asked for recipes. 

225g cooked Christmas Pud
30g butter
30g dark brown sugar,
finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
50ml brandy
500ml double cream
200g condensed milk

~   Crumble the Christmas pud with your fingers.
~   Lick fingers.
~   Wash fingers.
~   Melt together the butter and the sugar and then stir in the crumbled pud, the orange juice and zest and the brandy.
~   Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring a lot, and then cool completely.
~   Fold into the whipped cream together with condensed milk.
~   Freeze.

Buttered Rum and Ginger Ice Cream

50g butter
50g light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of syrup from the stem ginger jar
50ml golden or dark rum
5 pieces of stem ginger – finely chopped
500ml double cream
200g condensed milk

~   Put the butter, sugar, ginger syrup and rum in a small pan and heat together over low heat stirring till everything has melted together
~   Stir in the chopped ginger and simmer gently for 3 or 4 minutes.
~   Cool completely.
~   Whisk the cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk.
~   Fold in the ginger and its sauce.
~   Freeze.

Brandied Mincemeat Ice Cream

500ml double cream
200g condensed milk
350g mincemeat
50ml brandy

~   Stir the brandy and the mincemeat together vigorously till completely mixed.
~   Whip the cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk.
~   Fold in the mincemeat and brandy mixture.
~   Freeze.

This is pretty served in a pie crust!

Marzipan Ice Cream

200g white marzipan
500ml double cream
50ml Amaretto or brandy
200g condensed milk

~   Coarsely grate the marzipan and then heat gently with the cream till melted.  Cool to completely cold.
~   Whisk together the marzipanned cream and the liqueur to thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk plus any inclusions.
~   Freeze.

Toasted almonds or, even better, crushed almond praline are good added to or sprinkled on this.

Here are some ideas if you have leftover marzipan.

Brandied Cherry & White Chocolate Ice Cream

The dried cherries, having soaked up the alcohol, become juicy and squidgy and remain juicy and squidgy even in the midst of the sweet cold creaminess. 

500ml double cream
200g condensed milk
45g white chocolate
225g dried cherries
Brandy or Cherry Brandy to cover the cherries

~   At least 24 hours in advance of making this ice cream you must soak the cherries – put them into a small container and pour over enough brandy or cherry brandy to cover them.  I can’t give exact quantities but too much brandy is not a problem really, it will still be delicious after the cherries have been removed from it.
~   Melt the chocolate as instructed here.
~   Whisk the cream together with 50ml of liquor drained from the soaking cherries.
~   Fold in the melted chocolate, condensed milk and macerated cherries.
~   Freeze

PS. Remember to drink any leftover liqueur – it is Christmas!

Alcoholic by Necessity Trifle Ice Cream

Alcohol is necessary to soak the fruit in this so that it doesn’t freeze solid in the ice cream.   Sherry is traditional for trifle but you need a spirit for the fruit so may I suggest … brandy?  The sherry can be used in the cream. 

410g-ish tin of fruit in juice
50ml brandy or other suitable liqueur
200g trifle sponges or other plain cake – crumbled
50ml sweet sherry
500ml double cream
200g condensed milk

~   Drain the fruit and discard or drink the juice.
~   Toss together the fruit and brandy or other liqueur and set aside overnight to soak.
~   The next day mix in the sponge cake.
~   Whisk the sherry and cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk and then the fruit, sponge and alcohol mixture.
~   Freeze.

Some people, I must admit, have been put off by the idea of using condensed milk in ice cream – well more fool them! 

Please share these recipes with the World!!

Incidentally …

I would (of course) just like to mention my Christmas book Easy Festive Food for a Stress-Free Christmas!

Catering for Christmas can be time consuming, tiring and a bit stressy, so I thought I’d offer some suggestions to make it quicker, easier, more relaxed and perhaps more impressive!

This book does not contain all the information and directions that you can find everywhere in books, magazines and on the net such as roasting times or mince pie recipes. This contains a collection of useful ideas and recipes that as a professional chef I have used over the years to delight guests and customers without knackering myself!

I have also added every useful idea, hint and tip I can think of!

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