I have been having a lot of discussions about ice cream lately.  Probably the most heated was with my in-laws.  “Ireland has such great dairy”, I told them, “why are there not more ice cream parlours, where they convert the dairy they produce onsite to ice cream?”  They had two particular theories – the first is that rural Ireland is spread out (anyone who has been to Ireland would know, outside of the cities, people are pretty spread out) and the second is the weather – nice days are few and far between.

Which is why a really comprehensive book of homemade ice cream is pretty essential – and Ben Vear’s Ice Cream & Other Frozen Delights is unusually creative with its ice cream treats – everything from the basic vanilla ice cream to more complicated multi-step treats, such as chocolate coated ice cream bars and Coke floats.

I’d definitely recommend this book for cooks who have become familiar with the basic ice-cream making process, have maybe tried a few adaptations of their own, and are ready to move on to the next challenges.

Ben Vears is the kind of person who makes me feel like I’ve been slacking throughout my twenty five years.  Only twenty four, he is the fourth generation of ice cream makers at his family’s business, Winstones Ice Cream.  Vears has also been incredibly active promoting natural, rich ingredients in making ice cream. A cookbook seems the logical next step – if you can’t find the ice cream you like, he’ll help you to produce it yourself.  So Vear’s cookbook is dedicated to the comprehensive ice cream experiences – which was great for someone like me who had mastered the basics and was looking for a step up, challenge-wise.  Definitely recommended for the keen ice cream maker!

Lemon Sorbet (from Ice Cream & Other Frozen Delights)

Ingredients:

200g caster sugar

325ml water

250ml lemonade

1 teaspoon lime juice

zest of one lemon

1 packet of gelatine powder

Slowly heat water and sugar over low heat until fully combined (creating the simple syrup.)  Allow to cool to room temperature.

While this is cooking, follow directions on the gelatine packet and set aside.  Juice the lime and mix in a teaspoon of lime juice as well as the zest of one lemon.

Mix in the gelatine.

Put mixture into the ice cream maker in accordance with the instructions on the ice cream maker.

Allow to freeze for several hours before eating!

Beardy Fiance thought this was the nicest sorbet he’d had – it’s not too tangy, so you could definitely pop up the tang with lime juice if interested!

Ice Cream by Ben Vear is published by Absolute Press, an imprint of Bloomsbury. Hardback £20.  I received a free copy to review, but all opinions are my own.