Walnut and pear lollies and rhubarb sorbet: Jacob Kenedy's icy desserts
This can be adapted for any nuts – it works particularly well with pecans (lightly roasted before making the milk, and consider using maple syrup in place of the sugar), hazelnuts (roasted before making the milk), almonds (roasted or raw, skin on or skin off) or pistachios (skinless, if you can get them, roasted or raw). You can get inventive and seasonal with the fruit, too, but it is really only necessary to add a sweet dimension to walnuts – other nuts can fly solo.
Prep 5 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Freeze 6 hr+
Makes about 6 x 100ml lollies
220g walnut halves or pieces100g white sugar
1 ripe pear
First make a nut milk: put 140g of the walnuts in a blender with 350ml cold water, then blend , until they're a very fine texture, which will take several minutes.
Strain the nut water through a very fine sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract the last bits of goodness. Measure out 450ml of the nut milk (if you don't have quite enough, top up with more water), then add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.
Roast the remaining 80g walnuts very gently in a 160C (140C fan)/325F/gas 3 oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until light golden brown, then remove and leave to cool.
To make the lollies, divide the roast walnuts evenly between six lolly moulds. Peel, core and dice the pear, then divide this between the lolly moulds, too. Top with the sweet walnut milk to come 5mm below the rim, then put on the lid and lolly sticks, and freeze for about six hours, until solid.
Rhubarb is such a camp monstrosity of a petiole. I always think a bunch of the glorious, pink ribbed stems look like candles destined for a drag queen's dressing table, or Brighton rock being pulled to perfection.
Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min, plus churning
Freeze 30 min
Makes About 1 litre
650g rhubarb
200g caster sugar
50g light runny honey, or glucose syrup
Chop the rhubarb into 1-2cm pieces, then put in a saucepan with all the other ingredients and 100ml cold water. Bring to a simmer, then cook for five minutes, until the rhubarb is tender with just a little crunch (it will keep cooking as it cools). Leave to cool to room temperature, then blend finely.
Churn the mixture in an ice-cream machine according to the maker's instructions until fully firm, then put into a suitable container, seal and put in the freezer for half an hour or so, to firm up. If it has been stored in the freezer for longer and is too firm, put it in the fridge to soften until scoopable.
Jacob Kenedy is chef and owner of Gelupo, Bocca di Lupo and Plaquemine Lock, all in London
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Helen Goh's recipe for honey and almond semifreddo with nectarines
Softer and lighter than ice-cream, semifreddo, which is Italian for 'half-cold' or 'half-frozen', is also easier to make because it doesn't need churning. Customise this one by swapping the almonds for pistachios, and serving it with cherries or other seasonal fruit. Do seek out the anise seeds, though, because they add such a lovely pop of flavour. The praline can be made up to a week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the freezer, while the semifreddo itself will keep happily in the freezer for about a week. Prep 5 min Cook 1 hr 15 min Freeze Overnight Serves 8 For the praline90g sugar70g whole roasted almonds Pinch of sea salt For the semifreddo5 egg yolks 20g runny honey 80g caster sugar 2 egg whites 300ml double cream 1 tsp anise seeds, lightly toasted and crushed in a mortar For the nectarines 2 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp lemon juice 2 tsp runny honey A pinch of salt 4 ripe nectarines1 sprig fresh basil or mint, leaves roughly torn Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and set aside. To make the praline, put the sugar and 30ml water in a small saucepan and set it over a low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then turn up the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring but swirling the pan occasionally, until the mix turns a deep golden colour. Stir in the almonds, then pour on to the lined tray, sprinkle with sea salt and leave to cool and harden. Once hardened, break up the praline, then pulse in a food processor (or bash with a rolling pin) to break down into small, irregular pieces no larger than 1cm. Store in an airtight container in the freezer until needed. Line the base and sides of a 10cm x 20cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper, leaving a generous overhang to help you lift the semifreddo out later. Fill a medium saucepan a third of the way up with water and bring to a simmer. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, honey and 40g sugar, then set the bowl over the pan, ensuring the base isn't touching the water. Whisk for six to eight minutes, until thick and pale, then take off the heat and whisk (ideally over a bowl of ice) until cooled. Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until white and foamy. Gradually beat in the remaining 40g sugar, whisking until it dissolves and the mix comes to firm peaks. Scrape the meringue into the egg yolk bowl, but don't mix it in just yet. In the same bowl and with the same whisk attachment (no need to wash them), whip the cream to soft peaks. Scrape this into the yolk bowl, too, then add the anise seeds and praline, and fold until just combined. Scrape the mixture into the lined tin, smooth the top and freeze overnight (or for up to a week). About 30 minutes before serving, prepare the nectarines. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon juice, honey and salt. Halve and stone the nectarines, then cut them into 1cm wedges. Toss with the syrup and herbs, then leave to macerate. To serve, lift the semifreddo out of its tin using the overhang, then cut into roughly 2½cm-thick slices. Arrange on plates, spoon the nectarines on top and serve at once.
The Guardian
3 days ago
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Softer and lighter than ice-cream, semifreddo, which is Italian for 'half-cold' or 'half-frozen', is also easier to make because it doesn't need churning. Customise this one by swapping the almonds for pistachios, and serving it with cherries or other seasonal fruit. Do seek out the anise seeds, though, because they add such a lovely pop of flavour. The praline can be made up to a week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the freezer, while the semifreddo itself will keep happily in the freezer for about a week. Prep 5 min Cook 1 hr 15 min Freeze Overnight Serves 8 For the praline90g sugar70g whole roasted almonds Pinch of sea salt For the semifreddo5 egg yolks 20g runny honey 80g caster sugar 2 egg whites 300ml double cream 1 tsp anise seeds, lightly toasted and crushed in a mortar For the nectarines 2 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp lemon juice 2 tsp runny honey A pinch of salt 4 ripe nectarines1 sprig fresh basil or mint, leaves roughly torn Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and set aside. To make the praline, put the sugar and 30ml water in a small saucepan and set it over a low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then turn up the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring but swirling the pan occasionally, until the mix turns a deep golden colour. Stir in the almonds, then pour on to the lined tray, sprinkle with sea salt and leave to cool and harden. Once hardened, break up the praline, then pulse in a food processor (or bash with a rolling pin) to break down into small, irregular pieces no larger than 1cm. Store in an airtight container in the freezer until needed. Line the base and sides of a 10cm x 20cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper, leaving a generous overhang to help you lift the semifreddo out later. Fill a medium saucepan a third of the way up with water and bring to a simmer. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, honey and 40g sugar, then set the bowl over the pan, ensuring the base isn't touching the water. Whisk for six to eight minutes, until thick and pale, then take off the heat and whisk (ideally over a bowl of ice) until cooled. Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until white and foamy. Gradually beat in the remaining 40g sugar, whisking until it dissolves and the mix comes to firm peaks. Scrape the meringue into the egg yolk bowl, but don't mix it in just yet. In the same bowl and with the same whisk attachment (no need to wash them), whip the cream to soft peaks. Scrape this into the yolk bowl, too, then add the anise seeds and praline, and fold until just combined. Scrape the mixture into the lined tin, smooth the top and freeze overnight (or for up to a week). About 30 minutes before serving, prepare the nectarines. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon juice, honey and salt. Halve and stone the nectarines, then cut them into 1cm wedges. Toss with the syrup and herbs, then leave to macerate. To serve, lift the semifreddo out of its tin using the overhang, then cut into roughly 2½cm-thick slices. Arrange on plates, spoon the nectarines on top and serve at once.
The Guardian
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Walnut and pear lollies and rhubarb sorbet: Jacob Kenedy's icy desserts
Nuts make wonderful milks, and therefore they also make great granitas, sorbets and lollies. There is no trick or trouble to getting them right, but there is a magic about nut ices that is as jaw-dropping as a magician's act – delicious and sophisticated, without adulterating the childlike joy that underpins every sort of ice-cream. Then, I like to celebrate rhubarb as a sorbet, which is great on its own, or with cold custard, or to accompany stodgier puddings. This can be adapted for any nuts – it works particularly well with pecans (lightly roasted before making the milk, and consider using maple syrup in place of the sugar), hazelnuts (roasted before making the milk), almonds (roasted or raw, skin on or skin off) or pistachios (skinless, if you can get them, roasted or raw). You can get inventive and seasonal with the fruit, too, but it is really only necessary to add a sweet dimension to walnuts – other nuts can fly solo. Prep 5 min Cook 1 hr 10 min Freeze 6 hr+ Makes about 6 x 100ml lollies 220g walnut halves or pieces100g white sugar 1 ripe pear First make a nut milk: put 140g of the walnuts in a blender with 350ml cold water, then blend , until they're a very fine texture, which will take several minutes. Strain the nut water through a very fine sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract the last bits of goodness. Measure out 450ml of the nut milk (if you don't have quite enough, top up with more water), then add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Roast the remaining 80g walnuts very gently in a 160C (140C fan)/325F/gas 3 oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until light golden brown, then remove and leave to cool. To make the lollies, divide the roast walnuts evenly between six lolly moulds. Peel, core and dice the pear, then divide this between the lolly moulds, too. Top with the sweet walnut milk to come 5mm below the rim, then put on the lid and lolly sticks, and freeze for about six hours, until solid. Rhubarb is such a camp monstrosity of a petiole. I always think a bunch of the glorious, pink ribbed stems look like candles destined for a drag queen's dressing table, or Brighton rock being pulled to perfection. Prep 5 min Cook 10 min, plus churning Freeze 30 min Makes About 1 litre 650g rhubarb 200g caster sugar 50g light runny honey, or glucose syrup Chop the rhubarb into 1-2cm pieces, then put in a saucepan with all the other ingredients and 100ml cold water. Bring to a simmer, then cook for five minutes, until the rhubarb is tender with just a little crunch (it will keep cooking as it cools). Leave to cool to room temperature, then blend finely. Churn the mixture in an ice-cream machine according to the maker's instructions until fully firm, then put into a suitable container, seal and put in the freezer for half an hour or so, to firm up. If it has been stored in the freezer for longer and is too firm, put it in the fridge to soften until scoopable. Jacob Kenedy is chef and owner of Gelupo, Bocca di Lupo and Plaquemine Lock, all in London
