Quick Ice Cream

On such a glorious day, I always fancy something cold and sweet but with our Irish weather it’s incredibly hard to plan ahead for sunny weather. This recipe for Quick Ice Cream can be made with 10 minute’s notice providing you have the 2 ingredients in the house. Did I mention it’s also sugar-free?

It is late in the afternoon of the most splendid day. The sun shone from the minute we got up this morning. Himself managed to get home during the day and we walked together to collect the 4 year old from school, pushing the buggy. That alone was a treat as we rarely get a chance to walk and chat together. On the way home we took the kids along our “secret” path which involved walking in leafy tunnels, and across a wonderful old high viaduct which carries the Dublin/Belfast train line. Then we packed all our gear in the buggy and carried it down to our sandy beach which was virtually deserted at 1pm today.

We paddled, splashed, played and indulged in some of my favourite memories of a (brief) Irish summer:

• Eating crisps with extra salty fingers from the sea.
• Walking home with sand between our toes because we didn’t brush it off well enough.
• Grinning from ear to ear at the freedom, the fresh air and the sun on our skin.
• Finally, himself went and got a whipped ice cream cone on the way home, not forgetting the half-size flake which makes it a 99 or the drizzle of raspberry syrup.

I do like whipped ice cream but it is sugar laden and I’m trying to watch what I eat a bit. I elected not to have a 99 and make my own ice cream when I got home.

This recipe is perfect for dinner parties, lazy afternoons in the sun or BBQ’s. I really love the fact that it takes only 2 ingredients and 10 minutes (max) to make. The quick ice cream is also sugar-free and no-churn.

Are you sold yet?

If you use tart fruit in this recipe then you will need to add a sweetener. You could add a tablespoon of pureed apples or pears. I instead use 3/4 berries and 1/4 ripe mango which is beautifully sweet and freezes very well.  I peel and cut the mango into small chunks the same size as a raspberry.  Summer berries are just coming into season in Ireland so watch out in the “yellow sticker” sections for overripe berries as they are the most sweet.  Give them a quick rinse or a dunk in vinegar then freeze in sandwich bags.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 250g crème fraîche (full fat works best but low-fat also works)
• 140g frozen fruit

Method

You will need a food processor, stand mixer or an electric whisk for this as it’s too hard to blend them together by hand.

In a large bowl, pour in the crème fraîche and start whisking on low. Add the frozen fruit bit by bit. It will get a bit “clunky” so increase the speed to just below medium and whisk until you see the mixture beginning to take on the texture of ice cream.  The berries will break down in the mixing process.

You can now serve the quick ice cream OR you can spoon it into a heat-proof bowl with a lid and freeze it for another day. It lasts for about 30 days in the freezer providing you’ve well insulated the bowl. Personally I serve it straight away with added berries on top for texture. If you were feeling particularly bold you could have it in an ice cream cone but I’ve been known to eat it with a spoon directly from the mixing bowl!