Top 8: Satisfying shop-bought ice creams for a summer treat

We looked for the least number of ingredients and additives across a range of brands

A scoop of ice cream makes a perfect summer treat. Picture: iStock  

This bank holiday weekend, let’s make the best of the timeless treat of ice cream. A few tweaks and it can be transformed into something even more special. Try drizzling hot coffee over vanilla ice cream for the Italian affogato (meaning drowned), but I also like it over chocolate ice cream. Add fresh fruit and drizzle aged balsamic vinegar over vanilla. A sprinkle of freshly toasted almonds, hazelnuts or pine nuts will raise your game, and I have been substituting toasted sunflower seeds wherever I see nuts listed in a recipe - they are superb.

I was recently inspired by Italian chef Georgio Locatelli to try lemon thyme in a custard ice cream. Best to blend it into a custard while warm, but a teaspoon of leaves (no stalks) could also be gently boiled for three minutes with equal measures of sugar and water to pour over vanilla. The flavour is also good, as Nigella proves in her Bundt cake.