Vanilla Ice Cream with Honey Roasted Figs Recipe
Creamy vanilla ice cream with a honey roasted fig swirl. This no-cook ice cream uses raw eggs for an incredibly smooth texture. Includes a no-churn method for those without an ice cream maker.
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Ingredients
For the honey roasted fig swirl:
- 150 grams fresh figs stems trimmed
- 1 tablespoon honey approximately
For the vanilla ice cream:
- 100 grams 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large free-range egg yolks
- Pinch of salt
- 500 ml 2 cups regular cream (not double or heavy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Roast the Figs:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Cut a cross through the top of each fig and squeeze gently to open them up like a flower, about a quarter to halfway down.
- Drizzle honey into the centre of each fig. Place them close together in a small oven dish.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes, depending on size. Small figs need 15 minutes; larger ones need 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.
Make the Ice Cream Base:
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes until pale and thick.
- Add the salt, cream and vanilla extract. Beat for 4-5 minutes until the cream looks softly whipped and has increased in volume.
Churn the Ice Cream:
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions (usually 20-25 minutes).
Create the Swirl:
- Working quickly, decant half the churned ice cream into a pre-frozen metal container and spread to flatten.
- Add half the cooled roasted figs in dollops over the ice cream. Use a skewer to swirl the fig through the ice cream in a figure-eight motion.
- Top with the remaining vanilla ice cream and repeat with the remaining figs, swirling again.
- Cover immediately and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
No-Churn Method (Without Ice Cream Maker):
- After making the ice cream base in step 6, pour the mixture into a large zip-lock bag. Seal, removing as much air as possible, and flatten on a tray.
- Freeze until completely solid (several hours or overnight). The mixture will still be slightly pliable.
- Cut the frozen slab out of the bag, break into chunks, and place in a food processor.
- Process for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Quickly decant and swirl with the roasted figs as per steps 8-11 above.
Notes
- Use fresh, high-quality free-range eggs from a reputable source for food safety.
- Pre-freezing a metal container helps prevent the ice cream from melting too quickly whilst you create the swirl.
- Double the fig roasting recipe if you want extra for spreading on toast with cream cheese. It makes a delicious quick jam.
- Regular cream (about 35% fat) works best. Double cream may be too rich; a milk-and-cream combination will be less rich.
- The no-churn method works brilliantly for this cream-based ice cream. It hasn't been tested with sorbets.