Sunday, 20 February 2011

Rhubarb and Orange Ice Cream

I love home-made ice cream, but as I only have one of the machines that need to be pre-frozen, it is sometimes a bit of a palavar.  So, this 'cheat's version is a great alternative, as you simply add the ingredients to a tub of slightly-softened, good quality bought vanilla ice cream.  I used a litre tub of Yeo Valley vanilla but go for your favourite.  I started by roasting a pack of Yorkshire forced rhubarb, which is bang in season now.  Please don't succumb to the Dutch stuff, support an old, traditional industry.  Check out Oldroyd's website for a fascinating history of this product.

Anyway, cut a pack, about 4 long, slender, shocking pink sticks, into chunks and put in a single layer if possible in a baking dish.  Now, zest an orange, and stir into 3 tablespoons of caster sugar, and sprinkle over the rhubarb.  Juice the orange and pour over the sugary chunks.  Bake at 160C for 20-25 minutes until the rhubarb is tender and the whole thing is lovely and juicy.  Allow to cool.  Take out your ice cream from the freezer and allow to soften for 10 minutes.  Now, either tip into a food processor with the cold cooked rhubarb and juices and blitz in short sharp buzzes until rippled through, or roughly blend the rhubarb until still a bit chunky, tip the ice cream into a bowl and fold the blended rhubarb through.  Either way, Pour the ice cream into a lidded plastic container and return to the freezer sharpish so it can all settle and freeze again.  Serve with more roasted rhubarb and some crisp little biscuits - shortbread, perhaps, or I like Bonne Maman Butter Galettes for a complete cheat's dessert!

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a delicious ice-cream. I love the combination of rhubarb and orange in desserts.

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