Plum Ice Cream

1 day (includes freezing time)

Serves 6 People

Author: Rajni Ram

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Long long ago, to make Ice Cream at home milk would be reduced, then fruits or flavouring would be added, and then in went the mixture into the freezer for a few hours, after which it was whisked again before freezing it . This was a long drawn process. Then came heavy cream and the electric beater and things became much easier. Especially the precook part. This method also involves a considerable amount of freezing time, but the freezing time is only once and not twice like the latter. I also know of another method which is almost how the store ones taste,but that recipe is for another time.

Come Plum Season and I cannot resist cooking with them. A chutney, a juice, salad and much more can be done with them. I recently made this Plum Ice cream at home for a get together, and my family was a little apprehensive, as not everyone likes plum, but between Mango and Plum, it was the Plum ice cream that my guests came coming back to.

Well, Indian Plums are a little sweet and sour. So what I have done in this recipe is cook the plums into conserve and then added it to the whipped cream. This way, the Plum flavour was enhanced, and the sourness was reduced(it was not completely missing),and this is what makes this Plum Ice cream totally lip-smacking delicious. This is how the recipe also varies from other Plum Ice cream recipes.

Ingredients

Whipping Cream 200 gm ( heavy cream) chilled
Condensed milk 200 gm
Fresh Plums around 20 medium ones
Sugar 1/4 cup
Salt 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
Berries of your choice 1 tsp

Wash and chop the plums, discarding the seed(stone). Put it into a blender and puree it smooth. Now put the Plum Puree in a pan and cook, add salt, sugar and cinnamon powder and continue to cook until the puree turns little thick and the raw taste is gone. It is ok the puree is a little sour even after adding sugar. Allow the Plum conserve to cool completely.
In a huge bowl take the chilled cream. Ensure your bowl is also chill(keep it in the refrigerator at least for an hour). Now with the electric beater start beating the cream on medium speed until soft peaks are formed.
Now add the condensed milk to the whipped cream and continue to beat again until stiff peaks are formed or the cream doubles up in volume.
Now the Plum conserve would have cooled down. Reserve some( about 3 tbsp), and start adding the remaining conserve little by little into the whipped cream. At this point the cream should not be beaten or whipped any more. Just fold in the plum conserve with a spatula gently. We may not use up the whole of the Plum conserve. As you keep adding the conserve, keep tasting the mix for the right flavour. I like it intense so I have used little more than half a cup.
Now take a Plastic or Silicone container which had a lid and put half of the cream mixture into it. Sprinkle some berries of your choice on top, and top up with the remaining cream mixture. Now drop some blobs of the reserved plum conserve over the cream mixture. Using a toothpick make swirls as shown in the picture, for a marble effect. Cover the container with cling film and then close the lid. Put this in the freezer for 8 hours atleast or overnight. Scoop and Enjoy.

Wash and chop the plums, discarding the seed(stone). Put it into a blender and puree it smooth. Now put the Plum Puree in a pan and cook, add salt, sugar and cinnamon powder and continue to cook until the puree turns little thick and the raw taste is gone. It is ok the puree is a little sour even after adding sugar. Allow the Plum conserve to cool completely. In a huge bowl take the chilled cream. Ensure your bowl is also chill(keep it in the refrigerator at least for an hour). Now with the electric beater start beating the cream on medium speed until soft peaks are formed. Now add the condensed milk to the whipped cream and continue to beat again until stiff peaks are formed or the cream doubles up in volume. Now the Plum conserve would have cooled down. Reserve some( about 3 tbsp), and start adding the remaining conserve little by little into the whipped cream. At this point the cream should not be beaten or whipped any more. Just fold in the plum conserve with a spatula gently. We may not use up the whole of the Plum conserve. As you keep adding the conserve, keep tasting the mix for the right flavour. I like it intense so I have used little more than half a cup. Now take a Plastic or Silicone container which had a lid and put half of the cream mixture into it. Sprinkle some berries of your choice on top, and top up with the remaining cream mixture. Now drop some blobs of the reserved plum conserve over the cream mixture. Using a toothpick make swirls as shown in the picture, for a marble effect. Cover the container with cling film and then close the lid. Put this in the freezer for 8 hours atleast or overnight. Scoop and Enjoy.

Notes:

Raw Plum Puree also can be used but the flavour may differ from the original. But for the reasons stated above I recommend making a Plum Conserve.
Using berries is optional. in this recipe I have used dried Cranberries.
Using a cling film or wrap is important as otherwise the Ice cream texture may turn icy.
The marble effect is optional. One can skip that step and just freeze the cream mixture.