Description
This festive Christmas pudding ice cream combines traditional boozy dried fruits and warm spices with creamy homemade ice cream, creating a rich, indulgent dessert perfect for holiday celebrations. Aromatic spices, brandy-soaked fruits, and crunchy ginger nut biscuits blended into a smooth ice cream base deliver a true taste of Christmas in every spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Boozy Fruit Mixture
- 85g raisins
- 85g sultanas
- 85g dried cherries
- 100g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 6 tbsp brandy
- 2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks, snapped in half
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp caraway seeds
- 4 cloves
Ice Cream Base
- 600ml double cream
- 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
- 3 large egg yolks
- 100g golden caster sugar
Additional Mix-ins
- Oil, for greasing the bowl
- 6 ginger nut biscuits, broken into chunks
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Zest of ½ orange
- 85g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 100g fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- Prepare Boozy Fruit Mixture: Combine the raisins, sultanas, dried cherries, fresh or frozen cranberries, brandy, dark muscovado sugar, cinnamon sticks, ground ginger, freshly grated nutmeg, caraway seeds, and cloves in a bowl. Microwave the mixture on High for 3 minutes, stir well, then allow it to cool completely, ideally leaving it overnight to soak and develop flavors.
- Infuse Spices into Cream: Place the cinnamon sticks, ground ginger, nutmeg, caraway seeds, and cloves into a saucepan and gently heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Add the double cream and the scraped vanilla seeds to the pan and bring to a boil, infusing the cream with spice and vanilla flavor.
- Make Egg Yolk Custard Base: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and golden caster sugar until pale and creamy. Gradually whisk the hot spiced cream mixture into the egg yolks to temper them and prevent curdling. Pour the combined mixture back into a clean pan and gently heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Cool Custard Base: Pour the custard into a clean bowl or plastic container and allow it to cool to room temperature. For best results, chill the custard overnight in the refrigerator to enhance the Christmas spice flavors thoroughly.
- Strain and Freeze Custard: Pass the chilled custard through a fine sieve into another container to remove spices and any cooked egg bits. Freeze the custard mixture for 5 hours, stirring every hour to break up frozen edges and ensure a smooth, thick consistency.
- Prepare Pudding Basin: Lightly oil a 1.2 or 1.4-litre pudding basin and line it with cling film for easy removal of the ice cream pudding later.
- Combine Fruit and Ginger Nuts: Drain the boozy fruit mixture through a sieve to remove excess liquid. Mix the fruit with broken ginger nut biscuit chunks and the lemon and orange zest, then quickly fold this mixture into the semi-frozen ice cream base.
- Assemble and Freeze Pudding: Spoon the combined ice cream mixture into the prepared pudding basin, smooth the surface, cover tightly with cling film, and freeze for at least 6 hours until fully set.
- Prepare Cranberry Topping: For the sauce, place the caster sugar, brandy, and fresh or frozen cranberries in a small pan. Gently heat until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes to create a syrupy topping. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Serve the Ice Cream Pudding: To serve, take the pudding out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften slightly. Turn the pudding out onto a plate, carefully remove the cling film, and spoon the cranberry syrup and fruit topping over the ice cream pudding.
Notes
- For best flavor, allow the boozy fruit mixture and custard base to soak overnight.
- Stirring the custard while cooking ensures it thickens evenly and prevents scrambling.
- The ginger nut biscuits add a festive crunch and should be added just before final freezing.
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries for the topping depending on availability.
- Letting the pudding soften a bit before serving makes it easier to slice and enhances the creamy texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus overnight soaking and chilling
- Cook Time: 20 minutes active cooking plus freezing and chilling times
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Christmas pudding, ice cream, boozy fruit, festive dessert, holiday recipe, homemade ice cream, ginger nut biscuits, spiced ice cream
