Plum and brandy gelato

Makes 1 Litre Desserts and puddings

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Method

Halve and stone the plums and cut in half again. Put in a pan with the brandy and 75g of the sugar and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Stir, cover and cook slowly for around 10 minutes until just falling apart. Plunge the base of the pan into a sink of cold water to cool down quickly. When cold, put into a liquidiser and whiz to a fine purée, then transfer to a bowl.

Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl and whisk in the rest of the sugar until thick and paler in colour. Put half the cream in a pan and heat until bubbles appear around the edge. Gradually stir into the egg mixture.

Rinse out the pan and pour the egg mixture back in. Heat over a low heat to 75°C/165°F, or until it thickens a little without curdling. Pour into a clean bowl and leave to get cool.

Once fully cold, whisk in the rest of the cream until just combined, then fold into the plum purée. Churn the mixture in an ice cream machine following manufacturer’s instructions, or use the ‘still freeze’ method instead. To ‘still freeze’ pour into a freezer-proof container so you have a 3cm gap between the mixture and the top of the container. Freeze for 2 hours. Using a fork, dig at the frozen edges and corners and mix the slushy centre, then use an electric whisk to break it all up. Refreeze for another few hours, repeat the process, then freeze for another 2 hours. Break up and put in a food processor and whiz until really smooth. Put back into the freezer-proof container and freeze for at least 4 hours. Before serving, place in the fridge for 20 minutes to soften.