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Since I had my baby boy, I’ve become more interested in knowing the ingredients in everything I buy than ever before. George loves ice cream and I began to wonder what exactly was in ice cream. When I looked on the back of the tub from the supermarket I wasn’t too happy with the list of ingredients, preservatives and a whole bunch or other stuff that I felt sure wasn’t necessary. So, when I got home and started googling ice cream recipes I soon found out that ice cream is only a frozen egg custard with whipped cream added; simple ingredients, that although fattening, are a better option than the stuff I had been buying from the supermarket. Next, I had to find a recipe that did not require an ice cream maker, simply because I don’t have one. I finally found a recipe, not on the internet, but on my own bookshelf in Tanya Ramsay’s book Family Kitchen and adapted it to suit my tastes.

Here it is, enjoy:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 fresh vanilla pod
• 1/2 pint milk (skimmed or full fat)
• 3 egg yolks
• 4oz caster sugar
• 1/2 pint double cream
• 50g chocolate chips

Method:

1. Split vanilla pod open and place with milk into a pan, heat gently until nearly boiling.
2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl.
3. Pour a little of the hot milk in with the egg mixture whisking quickly, slowly add the rest of the milk whisking all the time so that the eggs do not curdle.
4. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the pan over a low heat, stir gently, but continuously, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, whisk the cream until thick and once the egg/milk mixture is cool mix it together with the cream.
7. Remove the vanilla pod, add in the chocolate chips and stir.
8. Place in a plastic container with a lid and put in the freezer for approx 3 hours, after which take the mixture and stir well to ensure it freezes evenly (the edges will freeze first, the middle will be last, so by stirring the mixture it will replace the need for an ice cream maker).
9. Leave in the freezer over night or at least 6-8 hours – then enjoy!

Top Tip:

Since the ice cream uses only the yolk of the egg you could use the egg white to make meringues – a great accompaniment to serve with the ice cream.

Once upon a time I would never have thought you could cook with lavender. Then over the last few years I came across lavender as a seasoning:

1. Lavender bread sold in Picnic Fayre delicatessen in Cley Next The Sea, Norfolk.
2. Mixed in with rosemary and sea salt in a salt grinder.
3. In a marinade for chicken used by Nigella Lawson in her San Tropez Chicken (you can read this recipe online at recipesfrom4everykitchen.blogspot.com)

I always enjoyed my encounters with lavender as a food ingredients, but had, of late, rather forgotten about it. Then on holiday Holkham Hall were serving lavender ice cream as their speciality of the day so I had to have some (see my last blog about Holkham ice cream). It was delicious ice cream with a really unique flavour and beautiful pale purple colour. Sadly, as usual, I had to share my ice cream with Baby G and the photograph shows us fighting over who get to eat the most!

Now I’m on the hunt for more recipes using lavender. I’ll keep you updated.

Following on from my Norfolk theme in last night’s post I thought I’d share another favourite of ours. We love to visit Holkham Hall and see the deer roaming around the beautiful estate.

This year was the first time I’ve visited Holkham when the weather was really hot, so of course we had to indulge in some of Holkham Hall’s own ice cream; it was really tasty, to quote my husband “it was the best ice cream I’ve ever had.” We tried both the vanilla and the flavour of the day which was mango. Both were delicious, the mango was subtle and delicate with none of the sharpness that a mango sorbet would give.

My son adores ice cream or “icey cream” as he calls it and he is just about able to eat it by himself from the cone. He has been so desperate to be able to eat ice cream from a cone all by himself that I’ve had to teach him how to do it. I have to keep him well covered up, hence the tea towel, and have a pack of wet wipes to hand.

If you would like to find out more information about Holkham Hall visit their website: www.holkham.co.uk

Thanks to my contributing photographers: Peter Drummond and my husband James.

It’s been hot today so we made a visit to our family beach hut and yes of course we had to eat ice cream. I feel that if you live locally you have to have a Rossi Ice Cream. There is something about the taste and texture that is unique, delicious and it has to be tried.

What I love most about Rossi Ice Cream is that has been made locally since the Rossi family came to Southend in the 1930s. Southend and its day trippers have been able to enjoy this ice cream for over 80 years; it is a real tradition. On the Rossi website I found out that in 2006, with no heirs, the Rossi family sold the business but the new owners continue to use the original family recipes which created the ice cream’s fame.

If you would like to find out any more information on Rossi, see where it is on sale or look at the Rossi family photo album visit the website: www.rossiicecream.com