* Blackberry Ice Cream

I have been a-foraging. I have cuts, bruises, scabs, grazes and thorns in my feet (because I was in a hippy happy mood and wanted to wear my sandals in the sunshine) and up my arms. Thankfully my face has remained un-harmed by my endeavours into "Death by Blackberry Bush".

The dog found it all vastly amusing and sat huff-huffing behind me as I balanced on my tippy-toes, reaching for just-one-more-black-berry... and went arse over tit into the bushes. MY GOD they have the tiniest little thorns on them that weave their way under your skin like splinters. I really wanted my mummy. At least twice.

She used to take us (my baby bruvver and I) blackberrying on the way home from school, every September. We'd get home with purple fingers and faces, and decide that we were going to come and live in the brambles and feast on the berries for ever and ever and ever... 

... until one of us would say "I bet you ate a maggot".

Aren't kids lovely... I used to tell my brother that we found him in a dustbin.

Where were we? Blackberry Ice Cream.... Oooooh.... right... I inherited my dad's decrepit Ice Cream maker and have only recently pulled it out of the attic and cleaned it up so's I can play. I have never, ever made ice cream before. Definitely. Not at college. Not in my yoof. Not in my house. Not in my life.

I have now made blackberry ice cream.

I will be making it again.

I will not be telling anyone next time.

I will not be sharing it.

You won't want to, either.

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Blackberry Ice Cream Recipe

Makes 1 litre

Prep time (including cooling and freezing) - 5 - 6 hours

Cooking time - 35 minutes

Total time - 5.5 - 6.5 hours

You will need

An ice cream maker

A saucepan

Sieve

Bowl

Ingredients

1 1/2 pints/850ml blackberries

2oz/50g golden caster sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

12fl oz/350ml double/heavy cream

12fl oz/350ml whole milk

7oz/200g golden caster sugar

5 egg yolks

Method

• Heat the blackberries, 50g sugar and lemon juice in the saucepan over a medium heat until broken down - about 20 minutes.
• Push the blackberry syrup through a sieve - using the back of a ladle or spoon - into a bowl.
• Pour the double cream into the blackberries. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to cool a bit whilst making the custard.
• Wipe out the saucepan and heat the milk and remaining sugar gently - until sugar has dissolved - about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the eggs until pale in colour and fluffy.
• Temper the eggs by adding a small amount (about a ladleful) of the warm, sweet milk - whisking them constantly. 
• Pour the tempered eggs into the saucepan and whisk gently until the custard thickens - about 5 minutes. If it curdles, your heat is too high - but you can probably get away with sieving the lumps out. MINE DIDN'T CURDLE!
• Stir the custard into the cream and blackberries and put it all back in the fridge to cool. Can take about an hour or more.
• Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker and use your blackberry custard to make your blackberry ice cream.
• Transfer the ice cream to an air tight container and freeze for several hours or overnight.

EAT

Adapted from Ree Drummond's Blackberry Chip Ice Cream

One Year Ago: Stromboli