Kitty Travers’ White Peach and Blackcurrant Splits
During a recent traffic jam on a scorching hot day, Kitty Travers found herself enjoying a homemade blackcurrant and white peach ice lolly, sharp and fruity with a delicate almond flavor from slightly underripe peaches. She describes it as the only object of desire between Elephant and Castle and Acton Central in London.
To make these lollies, you need silicone moulds and wooden sticks. Prep time is 5 minutes, cook time 30 minutes, and freeze time 10 hours, making about 5 large ice lollies (800ml).
Ingredients for the blackcurrant layer: 125g blackcurrants (frozen are OK), 225g water, 50g sugar, and edible flowers to decorate. For the peach puree: 300g white peaches (about 3 medium flat or small round peaches), juice of 1 lemon, 50g water, and 50g sugar.
Simmer blackcurrants, water, and sugar until fruit bursts. Puree and strain. Wash peaches, slice, add lemon juice, water, and sugar, then puree and strain. Lay silicone moulds on a tray, insert sticks leaving a third visible. Fill half with peach puree, freeze 2 hours. Add blackcurrant puree, freeze overnight. To decorate, dip lollies in apple juice and stick edible petals.
Kitty Travers is owner of La Grotta Ices in London and author of La Grotta Ices (Vintage, £25).
Matthew Adlard’s Fresh Mint Semifreddo
Fresh mint brings a clean, vibrant taste paired with chocolate, nodding to mint choc chip ice-cream. This semifreddo uses a pâte à bombe base for a richer texture. Prep 5 minutes, infuse 30 minutes, cook 30 minutes, freeze 6+ hours, serves 8-10.
Ingredients: 40g fresh mint leaves, 400g double cream (plus extra), 30g water, 20g honey, 115g caster sugar, 6 large egg yolks (110g), 100g dark chocolate curls, pinch of flaked salt. For chocolate shell: 100g 70% dark chocolate, 10g neutral/coconut oil.
Bash mint, heat with cream until steaming, infuse 30 minutes, strain and top up to 400g. For pâte à bombe, heat water, honey, sugar to 118C, pour over whisking egg yolks until cool and ribbon stage. Whip infused cream to medium-soft peaks, fold into base with chocolate curls and salt. Freeze in lined loaf tin 6+ hours. Unmould, pour chocolate shell over.
Matthew Adlard is author of The Science of Baking (DK, £25).
Terri Mercieca’s Salted Pistachio No-Churn Ice-Cream and Olive Oil Biscuits
Inspired by a pistachio panna cotta at El Faro in Cadiz, Terri Mercieca combines tortas de aceite (olive oil biscuits) with salted pistachio ice-cream. Prep 10 minutes, cook 45 minutes, rest 1 hour 20 minutes, freeze 1 hour, makes 10 sandwiches.
For biscuits: 125ml olive oil, 5g fennel seeds, 10g finely ground pistachios, 5g instant yeast, 30ml warm water, 60g caster sugar, 60ml white wine, 280g plain flour, demerara sugar. Heat oil to 120-130C, add fennel and pistachios, cool. Activate yeast with water and 5g sugar. Combine all, knead, rest 1 hour. Roll out, bake at 200C for 10 minutes, stamp out 9cm biscuits.
For ice-cream: 200g pistachio paste, 100g evaporated milk, 75g whole milk, 500g double cream, 397g condensed milk, 5g sea salt flakes. Whisk paste with milks, whip cream to firm peaks, add condensed milk and salt, then pistachio mixture. Lay half biscuits on tray, dollop 40g ice-cream, top with another biscuit. Freeze, roll edges in ground pistachios.
Terri Mercieca is founder of Happy Endings and author of The Happy Endings Cookbook (Pavilion Books, £26).
Natasha Pickowicz’s Salted Hojicha Icebox Cake
Icebox cakes are effortless and refreshing. This version uses hojicha (Japanese green tea) steeped in cream, with buttery crackers and candied peanuts folded in. Prep 10 minutes, chill 2+ hours, cook 35 minutes, freeze 3+ hours, serves 8.
Ingredients: 18g ground hojicha, 500ml double cream, 2 egg yolks, 50g caster sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp kosher salt, 100g cream cheese, 50g candied peanuts, 100g Ritz crackers, 75g fudge sauce. Line a 23cm loaf tin.
Whisk hojicha into cream, steep 2-3 hours. Cook yolks, sugar, vanilla, salt over simmering water until emulsified, then whisk off heat. Add cream cheese. Strain cream, whip to stiff peaks. Fold yolk mixture into cream. Fold in peanuts, crackers, and fudge sauce. Pour into tin, freeze 3-4 hours. Unmould, serve in slabs with extra fudge sauce.
Natasha Pickowicz is author of More Than Cake (Workman Publishing, £35).
