Coconut ice cream

Please don't use half-fat coconut milk. The result will be rubbish. If you're worried about the fat content in ice cream, you shouldn't be reading this blog. Have an orange.

The coconut extract is optional; it makes a big difference, but this is still delicious without it. I hunted high and low for something all-natural but they're all made from propylene glycol. Just live with it - it won't do you any harm. I use Uncle Roy's (who do all sorts of brilliant food flavourings) - available from Amazon for a couple of pounds.

400ml can coconut milk
200ml double cream
3 egg yolks
120g caster sugar
1tsp cornflour
100g dessicated coconut
1sp coconut extract (optional)

1. Toast the dessicated coconut over a medium heat in a dry frying pan. Keep giving the pan a good shake. This will take four or five minutes. When toasted to your liking, remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Combine the coconut milk and cream in a saucepan and heat gently until they are well combined and bubbles form at the edge of the pan. Do not boil.
3. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar and cornflour until pale and fluffy.
4. Pour the coconut / cream mixture over the egg mixture, whisking all the while. 
5. Transfer back to the saucepan put it back on a medium heat. Stir in the dessicated coconut, and keep stirring for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened.
6. Pour the mixture back into the mixing bowl. Leave to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Churn in an ice cream maker the next day (for around 25 minutes), then freeze until you're ready to serve.

This is great smothered with... Lime syrup

Delia makes a lime syrup for her coconut ice cream, both of which are overcomplicated with war-time ingredients like powdered coconut milk and arrowroot. Mine is simpler and more delicious, and you can buy all the ingredients you need at Costcutter.

Zest of 1 lime (use a zester or just grate it)

Juice of three limes (about 100ml)

1tsp cornflour

100g caster sugar

100ml water

1. Mix the cornflour to a paste with a little lime juice, then stir together with the rest of the juice, the lime zest, water and sugar.

2. Cook over a medium heat in a heavy-based saucepan. Stir periodically for five-ten minutes until the syrup is thick, green and shiny.

If you wanted a more substantial pudding, instead of the lime syrup, you could serve the coconut ice cream with hot Thai sticky rice. Sounds odd I know - but think of it as a foreign rice pudding. It works a treat. The Thai people would also add chopped cashew nuts, which I simply can't condone. 

Cinnamon ice cream

300ml milk
300ml double cream
four egg yolks
120g caster sugar
1tsp cornflour
2tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cinnamon stick

1. Heat the milk and cream together in a saucepan until hot but not boiling (small bubbles should be forming at the edge of the pan).
2. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar, cornflour, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. 
3. Carefully pour the milk and cream mixture over the eggs, whisking all the while, until they are incorporated. Pour this mixture back into the pan, add the cinnamon stick, set the pan back on a medium heat and cook for a few minutes, gently stirring, until the mixture has thickened slightly. 
4. Pour the custard mixture back into the mixing bowl, cover and leave to cool. Resist the urge to eat it at this point and chill in the fridge overnight.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick, then churn in your ice cream maker for about 25 minutes. Transfer to the freezer until you're ready to serve.

This is lovely with... Apple Tarte Tatin

You need a heavy, oven-proof frying pan for this. No plastic handles and none of your flimsy rubbish from Ikea. Something lovely from Le Creuset would be ideal. If yours is small (20-24cm) you might need only six apples. Ours is 28cm, so you get a bigger tarte. Result.

8 apples (coxes are nice for this but whatever you've got)

100g caster sugar

50ml amaretto

50g butter

Pinch of sea salt

500g block puff pastry (thawed if frozen)

1. Peel, halve and core your apples. There's no need to beggar about with lemon juice to stop them oxidising as you're about to turn them brown with caramel.

2. In your frying pan, heat the sugar with the amaretto over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cook for a few minutes until it turns golden and caramelly. 

3. Take the pan off the heat and add the butter and salt. Stir gently to incorporate the butter as it melts.

4. Arrange the apples in a lovely pattern, cut side up (so they'll be round side up when you turn it out). If you're like me, you'll practice this before you start making the caramel so you can achieve an optimal apple arrangement.

5. Leave the pan to cool; you can then put it in the fridge overnight. 

6. When you're ready to cook your tarte, preheat your oven to 200C (180 fan assisted). Roll out your pastry on a well-floured work surface to about the size of your frying pan. Carefully lift the pastry onto your pan and tuck the edges in around your apples. Bake for 30 minutes.

7. Using your oven gloves (don't make the same mistake I did), remove the tarte from the oven. Very carefully, turn it out onto your serving dish (perhaps something lovely with a stem). Boiling hot caramel is liable to fly everywhere at this point, so wear oven gloves on both hands, long sleeved garments and possibly protective goggles. Do not do it in front of dinner guests. Leave it half an hour or so before eating to allow the caramel to return to an appropriate temperature.

If you'd like to make this the day before, add the pastry to the cooled apples and chill in the fridge overnight. The puff will be better if you put chilled pastry straight in the over.

Stem ginger and allspice ice cream

300ml double cream
300ml milk
4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
1tsp cornflour
Half a 350g jar of stem ginger, with half the syrup
2tsp ground allspice
1 inch grated root ginger

1. Chop the stem ginger pieces into small dice.
2. Heat the milk and cream together in a saucepan until hot but not boiling (small bubbles should be forming at the edge of the pan).
3. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar, cornflour, grated ginger and allspice in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Briefly whisk in the ginger syrup.
4. Carefully pour the milk and cream mixture over the eggs, whisking all the while, until they are incorporated. Pour this mixture back into the pan, set the pan back on a medium heat and cook for a few minutes, gently stirring, until the mixture has thickened slightly. Add the chopped ginger and mix to combine.
5. Pour the gingery custard mixture back into the mixing bowl, cover and leave to cool. Resist the urge to eat it at this point and chill in the fridge overnight.
6. Churn in your ice cream maker for around 25 minutes, or as directed by the machine's instructions.

This goes really well with... Rhubarb crumble

800g rhubarb
Zest and juice of a satsuma
150g caster sugar
100g plain flour
100g butter, cold from the bridge, cut into cubes
Pinch of sea salt
50g oats
50g demerera sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 fan-assisted).
2. Trim the rhubarb and slice into 2 inch pieces. 
3. In a saucepan, heat the rhubarb, caster sugar and zest and juice of the satsuma. Cook for five minutes or so, until the rhubarb has softened a little but still holds its shape.  
4. Meanwhile, make the crumble. Whiz the flour, butter and salt together in a food processor (or faff about doing it with your fingers), then stir in the sugar and oats.
5. Tip the rhubarb into a suitable dish with a pattern on the bottom, then tip the crumble mix on top and bake in the over for half an hour.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least twenty minutes before eating (otherwise you'll burn yourself).  

Serves six.