Description
This festive Christmas pudding ice cream combines the rich, boozy flavors of traditional Christmas pudding fruits soaked in brandy with a creamy, spiced ice cream base. Infused with warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, it’s a perfect indulgent frozen dessert for the holiday season, topped with a tangy cranberry syrup and crunchy ginger nut biscuits for texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Boozy Fruit Mix
- 85g raisins
- 85g sultanas
- 85g pack dried cherries
- 100g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 6 tbsp brandy
- 2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
Spices
- 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
- oil, for greasing the bowl
Add-ins
- 6 ginger nut biscuits, broken into chunks
- zest of ½ lemon
- zest of ½ orange
Cranberry Syrup Topping
- 85g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 100g fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- Prepare the boozy fruit: Combine the raisins, sultanas, dried cherries, cranberries, brandy, and dark muscovado sugar in a bowl. Microwave on High for 3 minutes, then stir well. Allow the mixture to cool completely, ideally leaving it to soak overnight to enhance the flavor.
- Infuse the cream with spices: Place the cinnamon sticks, ground ginger, grated nutmeg, caraway seeds, and cloves into a saucepan. Gently heat for about 3 minutes while stirring occasionally until fragrant. Add the double cream and vanilla seeds, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Make the custard base: In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the golden caster sugar until pale and smooth. Gradually whisk the hot spiced cream into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Return the combined mixture to a clean saucepan and gently heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Chill the custard: Pour the custard into a bowl or plastic container and allow it to cool completely. For best flavor, chill overnight to let the spices infuse fully.
- Freeze the custard: Pass the custard through a sieve to remove spices and solids, then place into a container in the freezer. For about 5 hours, stir the mixture every hour, scraping the frozen edges with a fork to create a smooth, thick ice cream base.
- Prepare the pudding basin: Grease a 1.2 or 1.4-litre pudding basin with oil and line it with cling film for easy removal later.
- Combine fruit and add-ins: Drain the boozy fruit thoroughly. Mix the fruit with broken ginger nut biscuits and the lemon and orange zest. Gently fold this mixture into the semi-frozen ice cream base.
- Freeze the pudding: Spoon the combined mixture into the prepared basin. Cover the surface tightly with cling film and freeze for at least 6 hours until firm.
- Make the cranberry syrup topping: In a small pan, combine caster sugar, brandy, and cranberries. Gently heat until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- Serve: About 15 minutes before serving, remove the pudding from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature. Turn the pudding out onto a serving plate and carefully peel away the cling film. Spoon the chilled cranberry syrup over the top and serve immediately for a festive holiday treat.
Notes
- For best flavor, allow the boozy fruit to soak overnight.
- Regularly stirring the ice cream while freezing helps achieve a smooth texture without an ice cream maker.
- You can adjust the amount of brandy to taste or substitute with other spirits if preferred.
- If fresh cranberries are unavailable, frozen work just as well.
- Ensure the custard thickens properly to avoid a runny ice cream base.
- Using cling film to line the pudding basin makes unmolding the ice cream pudding simple and clean.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus overnight soaking
- Cook Time: 20 minutes active plus freezing times
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Christmas pudding ice cream, festive dessert, boozy fruit ice cream, holiday ice cream, spiced ice cream, Christmas dessert, homemade ice cream
