Rhubarb and elderflower ice cream Copyright Sue Quinn
Late Spring flavour combinations don’t come better than rhubarb, elderflower and strawberry. And this dessert looks like a painting, too, which I think makes it even more appealing. I made my own elderflower cordial which wasn’t overly sweet but if you use shop-bought, try diluting it a tiny bit. The aim here is to appreciate some of that sharp rhubarb tang not cover it up with sugar. The low water content of condensed milk is the secret to no-churn ice cream: it freezes smooth and creamy without ice crystals, so there’s no need to churn it as it freezes.
Ingredients
500g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces, big chunks halved lengthways
150ml elderflower cordial
400g tin condensed milk
600ml double cream
Strawberries and elderflower cordial to serve
Preheat the oven to 180C non-fan/160C fan//360F. Place the rhubarb in a roasting tray, pour over the elderflower cordial and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender. Leave to cool.
Blitz the rhubarb and all the tray juices to a puree in a blender or food processor. You can leave a handful of the rhubarb aside and roughly chop if you would like some bits of rhubarb in your ice cream. Chill the puree and rhubarb bits (if using) or pop into the freezer for 30 minutes to achieve this quickly.
Whip the condensed milk and cream until thick enough to hold voluptuous peaks. Very gently fold the rhubarb into the condensed milk and cream mixture so as not to loose the air. Fold in the rhubarb bits if using.
Scrape into a loaf tin, smooth the top and cover with cling film. Freeze for five or more hours until frozen.
If serving with macerated strawberries, hull and halve the strawberries. Place in a bowl and pour over a splash of elderflower cordial. Set side for 10 minutes or so then serve with the ice cream.