Vegan Veg - Recipe: Raspberry ice cream

Our first decent medlar crop will be picked and left to blet this month – more on that next time. But one taste of summer clings on; the raspberries are having their last hurrah and their tartness and glorious colour just begs to be turned into the last ice cream of the season. Although an ice cream machine is a fantastic tool, and I wouldn’t be without mine, it’s easy enough to get great home-made stuff with patience and application. I’m still working on the secret of ‘soft scoop’, so you’ll have to transfer your ice cream from the freezer to the fridge about an hour before you’re going to need it.

Raspberry ice cream

Makes 1 litre
350g (12oz) raspberries
100g (4oz) caster sugar
100ml (3½fl oz) water
500ml (1pt) soya custard (available from supermarkets and health food shops)
300ml (½pt) soya whipping cream (available from health food shops and some supermarkets)

To garnish: extra raspberries, biscuits/wafers or dark chocolate (the true friend of the raspberry)

1. Chill the custard and whipping cream.
2. Put the raspberries, caster sugar and water into a saucepan.
3. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, allow to cool. If you have time, chill the puree.
6. If using a machine, combine the ingredients in it for the time suggested by the manufacturer. When finished, transfer to freezer and go to step 9.
7. If not using a machine, mix the ingredients together well and pour into a plastic freezer tub.
8. Every hour, remove from the freezer and run a fork through the mix to prevent ice crystals from forming. Continue doing so until the ice cream is frozen; this should take 6-8 hours.
9. Remove from the freezer about 1 hour before you wish to serve.
10. The ice cream should keep for a couple of weeks in the freezer.