Cassata Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 100 gram (3.5 oz) glacé cherries, halved (or roughly 20 x glacé cherries)
• 75 gram (2.6 oz) pistachios (roughly chopped)
• 50 gram (1.8 oz) milk or dark chocolate (chopped into small chunks)
• 50 gram (1.8 oz) candied mixed peel
• 600 millilitre (2 1/2 cups) double cream (heavy cream in the US)
• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk (circa 14oz/397g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons liqueur of choice (like Bailey's, Amarula, Kahlua, rum)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Prepare the tin and add-ins ---

2. 2

   Line a loaf tin with cling film/plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover the top later. A tin around 24 x 13 x 5cm (9½ x 5 x 2 inches), or about 1.5 litres (6 cups) capacity, works well. A slightly different shape is fine too.

3. 3

   Slice the glacé cherries in half and chop the pistachios and chocolate into small pieces. Smaller pieces make the cassata easier to slice neatly once frozen.

4. 4

   --- Make the ice cream mixture ---

5. 5

   Add the double cream, condensed milk, vanilla extract and liqueur, if using, to a large mixing bowl. If your kitchen is warm, chill the cream and bowl first to help the mixture whip properly.

6. 6

   Whip with an electric mixer until thick, smooth and softly holding its shape. The mixture should be thick enough to hold the fruit, nuts and chocolate in place, rather than letting them sink to the bottom of the tin.

7. 7

   Add the cherries, pistachios, mixed peel and chocolate. Fold them through gently so you don’t knock too much air out of the mixture.

8. 8

   --- Fill and freeze ---

9. 9

   Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula or large spoon. This will become the base once the cassata is turned out, so make it as level as possible.

10. 10

    Cover with the overhanging cling film/plastic wrap and freeze for at least 12 hours, or preferably overnight, until firm enough to slice cleanly.

11. 11

    --- Turn out and serve ---

12. 12

    Remove the cassata from the freezer and peel back the top layer of cling film/plastic wrap. Turn it upside down onto a serving plate.

13. 13

    Lift off the tin and remove the remaining cling film/plastic wrap. If it doesn’t release straight away, leave it for a minute or two, then try again. For a stubborn tin, briefly dip the outside in hot water for a few seconds, taking care not to melt the ice cream.

14. 14

    Let the cassata stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Decorate as you like, then slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.