Bara brith ice cream with Halen Môn taffi sauce

Makes 1kg Bara Brith Loaf and 1 litre of ice cream Desserts and puddings

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Method

Two days before serving, put the fruit in a bowl, pour over the perry to cover and leave to macerate for at least 24 hours.

The next day, make the taffi sauce and the bara brith (after mixing with the ice cream it will need 24 hours in the freezer). For the sauce, put the sugar and perry in a small pan and set over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and boil to a caramel colour. Remove from the heat and add the cream. Return to the heat and stir until smooth and just thick enough to coat a spoon. Leave to cool completely. If it gets too thick on cooling, boil a little more perry in a pan and mix in a little at a time to loosen the sauce to the best consistency. Chill until needed.

Butter and base line a 1kg loaf tin and preheat the oven to 160C/150C F/Gas 3.

Sift the flour into a bowl, add the mixed spice and crunch in the salt. Rub in the butter to create a breadcrumb texture.

Place a sieve over a bowl and quickly drain the soaked fruit. Measure the liquid and top up with milk if necessary to get 250ml. Whisk in the egg and add to the flour mixture, combining with a wooden spoon. Tip into the prepared tin and bake for 11⁄2 hours. Unmould and allow to cool completely.

Tip the ice cream into a large bowl. Cut the bara brith in half – save the rest to serve slathered in salty Welsh butter – and crumble into the ice cream. Mix well and transfer into a freezer-proof container to freeze for around 24 hours before serving with the sauce.

This recipe featured in the May/June 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.