Brown Bread Ice Cream

Serves 6-8

175g (6oz) wholemeal breadcrumbs, or 75g (3oz) oatmeal

175g (6oz) vanilla sugar (see below)

300ml (½ pint) double cream

300ml (½ pint) single cream

50g (2oz) granulated sugar

4 tbsp water

Whip creams and vanilla sugar to a light, thick mass. Freeze (in shallow trays for extra speed) at lowest possible temperature, turning sides to middle when they begin to harden. Toast breadcrumbs in the oven to a crisp golden- brown (for brown bread ice cream); or dry rather than toast the oatmeal until it’s hard and crunchy and slightly brown (Caledonian ice cream). Boil granulated sugar and water together for a few minutes and leave to cool: syrup from preserved ginger, chow-chow or fruit in brandy can be substituted.

When the cream is solid, but not rock-like, transfer to a basin. Mix breadcrumbs or oatmeal with syrup and immediately stir into ice cream, beating the mixture well. Refreeze. Serve with thin biscuits or oatcakes. A stiffly beaten egg white can also be folded in after the crumbs or oatmeal. This makes the mixture lighter (and bulkier).

Vanilla sugar: Put vanilla pod and plenty of caster sugar into a large screw-top jar. Leave for a week or two, and always keep the jar filled up. The vanilla pod will impart its wonderful flavour for many months.

Quick vanilla sugar: Pulverise a 3-inch piece of vanilla pod with 4oz sugar to a fine, black-speckled powder. Mix with caster sugar until flavour is insistent but not overpowering.