Keep it cool
Three irresistible frozen desserts guaranteed to help you chill out this summer
White coffee and caramel ice cream pie
This is a decadent pie that keeps really well in the freezer. And if you don’t want to make the whole thing, the ice cream on its own is simply stunning. The subtle notes of coffee really carry through via the cold infusion method in this recipe. If you don’t have an ice cream machine you can use shop-bought ice cream instead and make the caramel sauce to top it all off. You will need to start the ice cream two days before serving the pie.
1 HOUR + INFUSING + FREEZING | SERVES 12 | A LITTLE EFFORT
WHITE COFFEE ICE CREAM
whole milk 600ml
double cream 400ml
whole coffee beans 100g
condensed milk 50g
caster sugar 300g
egg yolks 120g (about 6 – save the whites for meringues or the arctic roll recipe, below)
PIE CRUST
biscuits 300g (I used Hobnobs)
unsalted butter 150g, plus extra for the tin
CARAMEL SAUCE
caster sugar 80g
unsalted butter 40g
double cream 160ml
sea salt flakes a pinch
1 The day before you want to make the ice cream, mix together the milk, cream and whole coffee beans, and put in a lidded container. Put this in the fridge overnight.
2 The next day, make a crème anglaise. Strain off the coffee beans and weigh the liquid – it should be approximately 850ml. Warm the liquid, together with the condensed milk, 150g of the sugar and a pinch of salt over a low heat until steaming.
3 In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until well combined. Pour over the steaming milk and whisk.
4 Return to the pan and cook until it coats the back of a spoon or 82C with a thermometer. Pour this into a heatproof container, allow it to cool completely before putting it in the fridge to cool completely.
5 Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Alternatively, freeze in a container and break up the ice crystals every 30 minutes with a fork. Put into a container and freeze until ready – ideally the ice cream should still be spoonable when adding to the pie crust, as it will help to get an even filling in. Remove 10 minutes before if it’s too solid.
6 Brush a loose-based 25cm tart tin or pastry case (4cm deep) with a little softened butter and put in the fridge. Crush the biscuits, either in a bag with a rolling pin or in a blender until you reach crumbs. Melt the butter and stir together until well incorporated.
7 Press the mixture into the tart tin, spreading evenly on the base and up the sides of the tin. Put in the fridge to set.
8 Meanwhile, to make the caramel sauce, melt the sugar over a medium heat until it is dark amber. Add the butter, lower the heat and whisk into the caramel. Finally, pour in the cream and add the salt. Heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a smooth consistency and all of the caramel has melted into the cream. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool in a heatproof container.
9 To assemble, spoon the ice cream into the set pie crust and put back in the freezer to set overnight. Remove from the freezer and take out of the tin. Serve with the caramel sauce drizzled all over – there will be plenty of caramel sauce left over, and it will keep in the fridge for a week. Alternatively, it will keep, tightly wrapped, for 30 days in the freezer.
PER SERVING 680 kcals | fat 50.6G saturates 29.6G | carbs 49.1G | sugars 39.4G fibre 1.6G | protein 6.4G | salt 0.4G
Strawberry and raspberry arctic roll
The parfait used in this arctic roll uses Italian meringue, which means another use for left-over egg whites. If you want to make more, simply double the recipe and set the remaining mixture in a loaf tin, freeze and slice to serve. The raspberry purée that I make for the sponge can be switched for another fruit purée –I have added in the quantity if you wish to do this. If you prefer a brighter pink, feel free to add a few drops of pink or red food colouring to the cake batter. You will need a sugar thermometer when making the parfait.
1 HOUR 20 MINUTES + FREEZING | SERVES 12 | A LITTLE EFFORT
icing sugar a dusting, to serve
strawberries a punnet, halved, to serve
PURÉE (makes about 150g)
raspberries 150g
caster sugar 20g
SPONGE
eggs 4
caster sugar 120g
plain flour 80g
baking powder 1 tsp
vegetable oil 2 tbsp
PARFAIT
caster sugar 90g
egg whites 75g (keep the yolks for ice cream or hollandaise)
double cream 150ml
strawberries 125g, hulled and finely diced
1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a 25cm x 40cm lipped baking tray with baking paper.
2 To make the purée, whizz together the raspberries, sugar and 50ml of water until smooth. Pass this through a sieve and discard the seeds.
3 To make the sponge, whisk the eggs in a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric hand whisk until they are broken up, then add the sugar and whip on a medium speed for 5-7 minutes or until they reach the ribbon stage – the mixture should be thick enough that when the beaters are removed from the batter it leaves a ribbon trail on top of the mixture rather than sinking straight back in. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Fold the fruit purée into the whipped egg mixture.
4 Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl a third at a time and use a spatula to fold each in gently, until thoroughly incorporated. Finally, fold in the oil. Pour the mixture onto the lined baking tray and carefully spread it out so it’s an even layer.
5 Bake for 18-22 minutes or until springy and cooked through. Allow the sponge to cool completely before using.
6 When the sponge is cool, flip it onto a sheet of baking paper and peel the bottom piece off. Trim the edges off the sponge to neaten. Replace the top with a fresh sheet of baking paper and roll up the sponge lengthways.
7 To make the parfait, heat the sugar in a pan with 2 tbsp of water until it reaches 110C. Whisk the egg whites either in a stand mixer or in a bowl with an electric whisk, until soft peaks have formed.
8 When the sugar reaches 119C, slowly pour it into the egg whites and whip on a medium speed for 5-7 minutes or until the bowl feels cool.
9 Whip the cream with a pinch of salt until silky and holding peaks. Fold it, along with the chopped strawberries, into the meringue. Spread the mixture onto the sponge, leaving some space along one of the long sides.
10 Tightly roll up the sponge from the filled side, lengthways, until you reach the side without much filling on it. Tightly wrap the roll with clingfilm or baking paper and secure the ends by twisting them.
11 Put the roll into the freezer overnight before slicing and serving. Leave it at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving, so the parfait softens a little. Serve scattered with more strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar.
PER SERVING 219 kcals | fat 10.6G saturates 4.9G | carbs 25.8G | sugars 20.6G fibre 1.1G | protein 4.4G | salt 0.2G
Roasted peaches, chamomile granita and crushed amaretti
This dessert is peak summer – it’s beautifully light, full of flavour and really moreish. The granita on its own is a wonderful option for a cooling midday pick-me-up and keeps really well in the freezer. Here I’ve suggested serving it with some greek yogurt and honey.
40 MINUTES | SERVES 6-8 | EASY
GRANITA
peaches 4 ripe
chamomile tea 350ml, freshly brewed
caster sugar 120g
lime 1, juiced
ROASTED PEACHES
peaches 4 ripe
caster sugar 2 tbsp
TO SERVE
greek yogurt (optional)
runny honey
amaretti biscuits 5-10
1 For the granita, slice the peaches in half, remove the stones and cut into large chunks, keeping the skins on. Put the peaches and the tea into a medium pan and leave to infuse for 1 hour. Whizz the mixture in a blender until well broken down, then strain through a sieve and back into the pan. Add the sugar and warm gently until the sugar has dissolved. Taste the mixture and add the juice from half a lime – if it’s still too sweet, add some more lime juice, however the sweetness will dull once frozen. Allow the mixture to cool before tipping into a deep roasting tin that fits in the freezer.
2 Stir the mixture every 1-2 hours to break up the ice crystals, then, after 6 hours, use a fork to gently break it up until it resembles a coarse granita. Alternatively, freeze the mixture completely, then use a fork to scrape it once set.
3 For the roasted peaches, heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Slice the peaches in half, keeping the stones in. Put the peaches into a casserole or roasting tray and sprinkle with the sugar.
4 Toss them in the sugar before putting them skin-side up in the dish. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the skins have started to wrinkle and the peaches are tender and slightly caramelised on the bottoms.
5 Remove from the oven and allow them to sit in the pan before gently removing the skins and the stones. Serve the peaches, along with any juices on top of a dollop of greek yogurt, with granita on the side and a drizzle of honey and a few crushed amaretti biscuits.
PER SERVING (8) 112 kcals | fat 0.1G saturates 0G | carbs 26.1G | sugars 26G fibre 1.7G | protein 0.8G | salt 0G
Ravneet Gill is a pastry chef and food writer, who has released two cookbooks since 2020: The Pastry Chef’s Guide and Sugar, I Love You. @ravneeteats