Rum and raisin ice cream

The last time I made this ice cream, I decided I couldn’t really taste the rum, so added more in. Then I decided I still couldn’t taste it, and poured a bit more. Then I added a little splash for good luck and the pure satisfaction of adding an extra splash of anything.

When I gave it to my mum as a Christmas present (it’s her favourite ice cream), she sent me a text a few nights after saying it had made her hot warmed her up and she and my little sister and her friends were getting drunk eating it, which gave them the giggles and made a good Christmas story.

Since then, my mum’s been pretty wary of my offerings to make her another tub. This time though, I’m sticking to the recipe, and I borrowed some Captain Morgan from my dad’s stash in the garage, as they’re not big drinkers and last time it cost me over £10 to make.

So here’s how to make rum and raisin ice cream:

heat the raisins, rum and lemon zest in a saucepan, simmer for 2 minutes, then cover and let it stand for a few hours or up to a day in advance.

warm the milk, sugar, 125ml of the cream and salt in a saucepan. Pour the remaining 250ml cream into a large bowl and set a sieve on top. In a different bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.

slowly pour the warmed milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so it doesn’t scramble, then pour it back into the saucepan. Stir constantly over a medium heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the custard through the sieve and into the cream and stir until cool over an ice bath.

chill in the fridge (the mixture, not you). When ready to freeze, drain the raisins over a bowl and reserve the rum and discard the lemon zest. Measure the drained rum and add more if necessary, so that you have 45mls, (do not add more, you’ll make your poor mother drunk). Stir the rum into the custard,  freeze in your ice-cream maker, and add the raisins during the last few minutes.

David Lebovitz’s rum and raisin ice cream

Ingredients

• 100g raisins
• 125ml rum
• 180ml full fat milk
• 375ml double cream
• 130g white sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 inch strip of lemon or orange zest
• pinch of salt

How to make

• heat the raisins, rum and lemon zest in a saucepan
• simmer for 2 minutes
• cover and let it stand for a few hours or up to a day in advance
• warm the milk, sugar, 125ml of the cream and salt in a saucepan
• pour the remaining 250ml cream into a large bowl and set a sieve on top
• in a different bowl, whisk together the egg yolks
• slowly pour the warmed milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so it doesn’t scramble
• pour it back into the saucepan
• stir constantly over a medium heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon
• pour the custard through the sieve and into the cream
• stir until cool over an ice bath
• chill in the fridge (the mixture, not you)
• when ready to freeze, drain the raisins over a bowl and reserve the rum
• discard the lemon zest
• measure the drained rum and add more if necessary, so that you have 45mls, (do not add more, you’ll make your poor mother drunk)
• stir the rum into the custard
• freeze the mixture in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions
• during the last few minutes of churning, add the rum soaked raisins