Sherry and Raisin Ice Cream

A wonderful recipe from Finca Buenvino (called helado con Pasas al Pedro Jimenez) , where Sam and Jeannie Chesteron cook wonderful food for their friends — see Hot Tips.

Serves 4-6

5oz (150g) raisins 4-8 fl oz (125-150ml) dry Oloroso or Pedro Ximénez sherry (to taste)

4 egg yolks

6 tbsp light brown sugar

1 tsp cornflour

½ pint (300ml) whole milk

½ pint (300ml) whipping cream

Pedro Ximénez to serve (1 tbsp over each helping), optional

Put the raisins in a pan with the sherry and simmer gently until the raisins have plumped up and absorbed some of the wine. Leave to soak (or soak the raisins overnight without heating).

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour until the mixture is foamy.

Heat the milk in a large, heavy pan to just below boiling point.

Whisk the milk into the eggs, then pour back into the pan.

Cook over a gentle heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and is smooth. Leave to cool.

Whip the cream until it is just thick enough to still fall from a spoon, then fold it into the cold custard. Put into the ice cream maker and continue to churn until thick. Spoon mixture gently into a freezer-proof container.

Fold the raisins into the soft ice cream, then cover and freeze for 2-3 hours. Serve in bowls with a wafer.

If you have soaked the raisins in Oloroso you might like to pour some dark, rich, absurdly sweet Pedro Ximénez wine over the ice cream. However, if you have made the ice cream with Pedro Ximénez, this will not be necessary.