Ice cream and Hot chocolate sauce

Ice Cream With Hot Chocolate Sauce - MS Word document for downloading

It’s always useful to have some ice cream in the freezer! If you have made it yourself, you know what exactly what has gone into it - even if it is very high in fat and sugar! Every body likes a treat once in a while and that is exactly what this is! It has a wonderfully smooth and velvety consistency, which, if you like rich puddings, will have you wanting more! The chocolate sauce is really quick and easy, and has a lovely sheen to it. It’s great on profiteroles, as well!

Ice cream:
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes, plus 4-5 hours in the freezer.

Chocolate Sauce: 2-3 mins

As you can see, the ice cream started to melt tonight, while I searched for some chopped nuts as a garnish! I was sure I had some, but I couldn’t find them. I guess I must have used them all up! (In “real” food photography, that is, where experts are taking the photographs, they often used mashed potato to simulate the ice cream, as it doesn’t melt under the hot studio lights).

Serves 6-10

Ingredients and Shopping List.

• 1 pint (500ml) double cream
• 397g can of condensed milk
• 1-2 teaspoons extract of vanilla (the flavour is so much better than vanilla essence)

Method.

1. Whisk the double cream until it just holds its shape.
2. Stir in the condensed milk and vanilla.
3. Spoon into a freezerproof container and freeze for at least 4 hours.
4. Transfer to the fridge 20 minutes before you want to eat it.

(I like to put this into a number of smaller containers, so that I am only taking out what I need).

If I’m really short on time, I make up this ice cream and serve a small quantity of it straight away with bananas - a bit like a Banana Split. The rest can go in the freezer. Not only do I have an immediate pudding, but I’ve catered for other puddings at the same time! That really does make me feel good!

Variations.

Omit the vanilla and can add other ingredients - marshmallows, choc chips, pureed raspberries or strawberries etc

My children used to particularly enjoy the occasional “Spider”, as they called it in Australia, more commonly called a Float here:

Fill a tall glass two thirds full of cola (such a treat!). Add one scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve immediately. Try it with other fizzy drinks, as well. (Yes, I know - I did say occasional!)

Hot Chocolate Sauce.
I found this recipe many years ago. I think it was in a book for schools by Marguerite Patten, but I have no idea what the title was. I remember she came to demonstrate when I was at College in Battersea - we were all very much in awe of her!

Ingredients and Shopping List.

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon cocoa (do NOT use drinking chocolate!)
• 1 tablespoon water

Method.

1. Carefully measure all the ingredients into a saucepan.
2. Melt together over gentle heat, stirring all the time, until just bubbling.

Pour immediately over the ice cream.