I am a big advocate of eating food in season and one season is about to come to an end- that of the Cadbury Creme Egg! ‘Once they’re gone, there’re gone’…
Before they are gone for another year and with a three-egg-a-day friend coming over for dinner I thought what better way to celebrate the seasonal wonder than swirled lovingly through a batch of scrummy ice cream… Soft, creamy ice cream with nuggets of chocolate and slatherings of sweet fondant – what’s not to love?!
I was slightly worried that the fondant might set rather hard when frozen and resemble the rather disappointing middle of an egg found lurking at the back of a cupboard too long after Easter, but instead it stayed soft, leaving you with patches ready to melt in the mouth between bites of chocolate and spoonfuls of creamy goodness.
Cracking and distributing the eggs even vaguely evenly throughout the ice cream was a rather sticky challenge and one I think with only one clear solution- up the daily intake of eggs from 3 to 5 or so- that way even if there are congealed chunks you know there will be plenty to go around! Or as I did- scatter the extra over the top of the bowls.
The ice cream based that I have used is from Sous Chef and has become a favourite of mine. Not as heavy and prone to setting solid as some of those made with a higher cream content and not at all icy as those made with less.
I would say what flavour next- but I think I better use up the egg whites first…
Recipe
Adapted from Sous Chef
6 egg yolks
150g golden caster sugar
1 pint (560ml) whole milk
190ml double cream
1tsp vanilla bean paste
3(+) Cadbury Creme Eggs
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy
- Heat the milk in a pan until it is just about to simmer
- Begin adding the hot milk to the egg mixture (very slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs – I use a ladle for the first third of so of liquid). Once the initial milk is incorporated carefully tickle the rest in, mixing all the time. If you are using an electric whisk have it on a slow speed- too much air will form bubbles on the top which have to be scooped off before you can continue.
- Return the mixture to the heat and gently heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Stir in the vanilla. As I have an electric hob with periodical vicious heat I prefer to do this in a bowl over simmering water on a medium low heat and use a Thermospatula to see the temperature rising- seeing that something is indeed happening stops me whacking the heat up and scrambling my eggs!
- Pour the thickened custard into a new bowl contain the cream and mix the two together. Let this cool, stirring occasionally to stop a skin forming. Then place a sheet of cling film right onto the top of the custard and then pop in the fridge until cold. I leave mine overnight.
- Once cooled freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions, adding broken pieces of Creme Egg just before it finishes. Enjoy straight away or spoon into a tub and freeze for later.