Dessert

Plum and mascarpone gelato

Combine plum pureé, homemade custard and mascarpone cream and you get this magical gelato, which makes a silky, fruity and luxurious treat. Could there be a more delicious way to cool down when the days start to get warmer?
Plum and mascarpone gelato
8 - 10
1H

You can use any puréed fruit you like to ripple through the ice cream. Just cook it down with a bit of sugar if it needs sweetening, then purée it. You will need about ½ cup cooked, thickened fruit. Jam or marmalade would also work.

Ingredients

Method

1.Place plums in a small, heavy-based saucepan and purée using a stick blender until smooth.
2.Place pan over a medium heat and simmer plums for 25 minutes or until thick but still able to pour off a spoon; stir from time to time so they don’t stick to the bottom. Set aside.
3.Gently heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy (this will take several minutes).
4.Pour hot milk into yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking continuously. Pour it back into the pan, return to the stove and cook over a low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens. This will take about 10 minutes and, once thick, the custard will noticeably change, becoming smooth and silky. Make sure you do this over a low heat or the mixture may split. Set aside to cool a little.
5.In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Whisk in mascarpone then gently fold in the custard (it’s okay if it’s still warm). Pour mixture into a loaf tin then spoon in the plum mixture. We made 3 long lines of plum, running lengthways along the top (you’ll get some larger lumps of plum but don’t worry – it just adds to the ripple effect).
6.Drag a skewer widthways in a zig-zag pattern through the plum and the mixture beneath to create ripples. Cover the tin with a plastic bag and leave in the freezer overnight.
7.Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving to allow it to soften a little.

Now you’ve mastered the art of making custard, you can prepare it on its own and serve it with steamed pudding or summer berries. If you don’t have a loaf tin, a metal bowl or even a large ziplock bag works well. Keep the juice from the can of plums and add it to soda water for a refreshing drink.

Note

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