“She spoke of yellow skied mornings and never setting suns. Of white lake skating and thick woollen dresses. The wood stacked by the door, and the smell of burning wood chip. And the speckled china bowls filled with ice cream” anon.

I often used to make ice cream by hand. No machine, just time and effort – and a bit of a scowl when I pulled it from the freezer to find it didn’t have that smooth, delicious creaminess I’d spent all that time trying to achieve. You can get a good enough tasting ice cream, but apart from the obvious hassle of constantly taking it in and out of the freezer to stir, you simply can’t get the results and consistency of a machine simultaneously churning, freezing and incorporating air into the mix for that luxurious velvety finish. So when my husband bought a Cuisinart for me, I wondered how I’d managed without it. It takes all the effort out of the thing, and you get the most beautiful results – if you can justify it, a good ice cream machine is worth every penny. I’ll link in the ones I’d recommend as well as my own below.

For a rich and decadent ice cream I always like a base of milk or cream and egg yolks that has been heated to form a thick custard, but for a quick and easy method that doesn’t involve heating, this simple recipe will give you a delicious result.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Equipment:

• large mixing bowl
• spatula
• freezer-proof storage bowl (at least 1L capacity)
• ice cream machine – we use this Cuisinart one which we love. It’s quiet, easy to use and clean and has several smart features including a lid you can easily open during churning to add ingredients. The Gaggia Gelateria also comes recommended by a friend. If budget allows, these two both avoid the requirement of cheaper versions to pre-freeze the bowl. Having an inbuilt freezer makes a world of difference to ease of use and prevent it becoming just another disused gadget.

Makes: 1 Litre

INGREDIENTS

• 220 ml full fat milk
• 150 grams granulated sugar
• 450 ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The above makes basic vanilla ice cream – f you want to add a coulis for a ripple, add the following at the end, before you pour the ice cream into a freezer proof storage dish:

• 150 grams raspberry coulis (we make this ourselves, recipe here, but you can buy it pre-made from the shop)

METHOD

1. Pour the milk and sugar into a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cream and vanilla, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for a couple of hours or, better still, overnight.
2. Whisk the mixture before pouring into your ice cream machine. Follow the directions of your machine.
3. Once the machine has finished, the ice cream should have thickened but remain fairly soft. Pour a first layer of mix into your freeze-proof bowl and loosely drizzle your coulis through. Repeat this process, layering the ice cream and coulis drizzle until your container is full.
4. Place ice cream in the freezer for about three hours before serving.

To finish:

Serve however you like – alongside pudding, in a cone for the kids, as an ice cream sandwich or sundae-style sprinkled with your favourite syrups and nutty toppings.