The summer has been hot here in the UK! I decided ice cream was the answer, not least because it was also an upcoming theme in the Sunday Afternoon Baking Club (an Instagram baking group I join in with it).

Makes: 1 litre 

Ingredients

• 1 cup / 250g sugar

• ½ cup water

• 2 ¼ cup / 530ml double cream

• ¾ tsp salt

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup / 250ml whole milk

• 3 large egg yolks

Toppings of choice: chocolate chips, waffles, wafers, sauce, mini marshmallows, fruit, cream, nuts, whatever you like!

Equipment: an ice cream maker

Method

Heat the sugar and ½ cup of water in pan and bring to the boil giving it an occasional stir. Keep it bubbling away until the sugar caramelises and goes a dark brown caramel colour. Be patient it will take several minutes for the sugar mixture to colour.

Warm the cream in the microwave, for about 1 minute.

Take the caramel off the heat and pour in about half the cream and stir. It will bubble up ferociously, be prepared for this as it an be a bit disconcerting! Once well mixed, set the caramel mixture aside to cool.

Heat the milk and the rest of the cream in a saucepan so it is almost at boiling point. 

Whisk the eggs in a bowl then add to the the milk and cream mixture and stir continuously whilst on a low to medium heat. The mixture should thicken and coat the back of a spoon.

Stir in the cooling caramel mixture.

Chill for at least 3 hours, but overnight works fine too.

Once ready to make the ice cream, take the mix out the fridge and give it a stir. Add to your ice cream maker and churn per your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Transfer to a suitable container and freeze to firm up.

This ice cream is good enough to serve on its own for sure, but I like serving it with some chopped toasted nuts, chocolate chips, mini caramel waffles and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Delicious!