Semifreddo

Berry Maple Semifreddo

Photos property of Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 16 January 2013.

In the midst of what feels like a never ending summer, my thoughts turn to cool and easy desserts. The brief at this time is no fuss; something I can prepare in advance but will still look and taste fresh on the day.

These are just the ticket, no fussing with an ice cream maker, all you will need is an electric mixer with two bowls or a spare hand mixer for whipping cream.

You can freeze the left over egg whites in an airtight container. To track your frozen egg whites, place a small piece of masking tape on the lid and write the date on it. When preparing to use the egg whites, thaw completely to use in meringue or coconut roughs below. 

Berry maple semifreddo

500g raspberries, frozen thawed, or fresh

250g caster sugar

8 egg yolks

600ml pure cream

100g maple syrup

Combine the raspberries and 50g of the sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook gently for four minutes until the berries just begin to soften and the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool and then refrigerate till cool.

Whisk the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed for five minutes until creamy, light and fluffy.

Heat the remaining sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat for five minutes until it is just beginning to darken and the sugar has dissolved. Mix with a silicone spatula, gently scraping the bottom and edges and mix any lumps back into the centre. Any lumps will eventually melt. Work fast to stop the sugar from burning. While the yolks are still whisking, pour the sugar liquid into the egg yolks in a thin, steady stream with the mixer on moderate speed, so as not to cook the yolks. Whisk until completely cool.

Whip the cream in a separate bowl to form stiff peaks. Fold in the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the chilled raspberry mixture. Pour into a two litre loaf tin lined with plastic wrap so the ends and sides of the plastic wrap hang outside to provide a handle for later removal. Stir in the maple syrup gently to create a marbled effect. Cover with the overhang of plastic wrap and freeze for five hours until firm. Remove by grabbing the plastic wrap, lifting from the tin and turn out onto a serving plate.

 

Salted caramel semifreddo

Praline

150g caster sugar

¾ tsp sea salt

Caramel

100g caster sugar

50ml water

50g salted butter chopped

1 tsp sea salt

150ml pure cream, slightly warmed

6 egg yolks

50g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla paste

350ml pure cream

For the praline, pour the sugar in an even layer in a heavy based saucepan. Line a baking tray with baking paper that has been lightly greased with vegetable oil.

Heat the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat for five minutes until it is just beginning to darken and the sugar has dissolved. Mix with a silicone spatula, gently scraping the bottom and edges and mix any lumps back into the centre. Any lumps will eventually melt. Work fast to stop the praline from burning and immediately mix in the salt. Quickly pour the mixture onto a baking tray, swirling and tilting the praline so it spreads thinly over the tray. Set aside to cool and set.

For the semifreddo mixture, crush the set praline into small chunks and place into a plastic bag. Bash it with a rolling pin to crush. Set aside.

Combine the 100g sugar and 50ml water in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Brush the sugar from the sides with a wet pastry brush then cook without stirring until a deep amber colour. This will take about eight to ten minutes. Add the butter and salt and stir to combine. Add the cream and stir until mixed. If sugar crystals form when you add the cream, return the pan to a low heat for one or two minutes, then remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, the 50g of sugar and vanilla paste in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed for five minutes until creamy, light and fluffy. While the yolks are still whisking, pour the hot caramel mixture into the egg yolks in a thin, steady stream with the mixer on moderate speed, so as not to cook the yolks. Whisk until the egg yolk mixture cools and refrigerate until completely cold.

When the yolk mixture has completely cooled, whip the cream until soft peaks form and gently fold the cream and the crushed praline into the cooled yolk mixture. Pour into a two litre loaf tin lined with plastic wrap so the ends and sides of the wrap hang outside to provide a handle for later removal.

Cover with the overhang of plastic wrap and freeze for five hours until firm. Remove by grabbing the plastic wrap, lifting from the tin and turn out onto a serving plate.

 

 

Coconut pineapple and basil semifreddo

6 egg yolks

1 cup caster sugar

½ cup fresh pineapple, finely chopped and extra to serve

½ cup pineapple juice

1 cup coconut cream

1 cup of pure cream

2 tbsp dessicated coconut

2 tbsp fresh Thai basil leaves, finely chopped

Heat the sugar and pineapple juice in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Whisk the egg yolk s in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed for five minutes until creamy, light and fluffy. While the yolks are still whisking, pour the hot sugar and pineapple liquid into the egg yolks in a thin, steady stream with the mixer on moderate speed, so as not to cook the yolks. Whisk until completely cool. The mixture will gradually thicken and go pale and creamy.

Whip the coconut cream and the pure cream together till soft peaks form and gently fold through the egg yolk mixture along with the coconut, pineapple and basil.

Pour into a two litre loaf tin lined with plastic wrap so the ends and sides of the wrap hang outside to provide a handle for later removal.

Cover with the overhang of plastic wrap and freeze for five hours until firm. Remove by grabbing the plastic wrap, lifting from the tin and turn out onto a serving plate.

Serve with fresh pineapple pieces.

Coconut roughs

125g unsalted butter

2 egg whites

1 tspn vanilla paste

120 plain flour

120g caster sugar

80g shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 200C

Mix the butter, egg whites and vanilla in a bowl, then fold in the flour and sugar. Beat until smooth.

Spread teaspoonfuls on baking paper lined oven trays. Spread each spoonful to about one millimetre thickness in random elongated shapes.

Bake for five minutes until golden and keep an eye out for burning. Leave to cool and harden. Serve with semifreddo or ice cream.

Giant chocolate meringues

 

Photo Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times December 5, 2012.

My earliest memory of the coastal village where I grew up was that our local shops contained all the essentials of life. The butcher, chemist, vegetable and grocery shop sat in a higgledy-piggledy row, built of cream painted planks with a dark red trim. We called the shops by the shop owners’ surname – Frith’s hardware, Smith’s shoes, Hiles for clothes, Kozary’s fruit and veg, and some exceptions like Goodway grocers and Coolibah milk bar.

Smack bang in the middle of the row of shops sat the very sixties bakery filled with the classic Aussie patisserie du jour. The front door was always open, with plastic fly strips to keep out the blowies flapping in the coastal breeze.

At the end of our weekly Saturday trip to the shops, we would drop into the bakery, a reward for uncomplainingly accompanying Mum to do the weekly shopping. While she chatted to the staff, our noses were pressed to the counter, debating with great passion which cake we would choose; the neenish tart, vanilla slice or piped pink meringues topped with coloured sprinkles. The cakes sat in neat rows behind the counter glass and were the ultimate lure, perfectly positioned to catch us kids, as we poked and prodded the glass with our grubby fingers.

Although she was a dab hand at cooking, Mum’s meringue making was one of her specialties and she was clearly influenced by her European heritage. Her meringues were very different to those made at the bakery, often being double the size and distinctly freeform in shape. I later realised she used the Swiss technique, commonly used in the patisseries of Europe. This method involves warming the egg whites and sugar in a pan, creating a stable mixture that can be piped, swirled or spooned and peaked loosely with a spoon. The result is a dry, crispy and silky exterior with a marshmallowy centre.

French patisserie windows are overflowing with this style of meringue in every flavour and colour variation imaginable. Beautiful displays are created with the billowy, free flowing shapes and the silky textures of these creations.

Regardless of the method you use, there are a few key tips to success. Firstly, you will need a reasonably heavy duty stand mixer, as hand beaters just won’t cut it. Unless you are built like the incredible hulk, you will have difficulty obtaining the consistency you need for good meringues without this essential piece of equipment.

Because egg white and fat don’t mix, wipe the utensils you intend to use with a vinegar and water solution and allow them to dry before you start. This will remove any traces of fat.

Another point to remember is not to overbeat your egg white and sugar mixture. Whisk eggwhites to a soft peak about eight times the original volume in air. You can test this stage by lifting your whisk and the peak of meringue mixture left by the whisk should just curl around to resemble a birds beak.

Always weigh your egg whites, as this method uses double the weight of sugar to egg white. This quantity makes about 13 giant meringues.

Photo Steve Shanahan

218g egg whites

436g caster sugar

pinch of salt 15g bitter cocoa, sifted

½ tsp vanilla paste

1 heaped tspn ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 110C and line two large baking trays with baking paper.

Sieve the cocoa and cinnamon and mix to combine.

Place the egg whites, salt and sugar in a large saucepan. Cover your hands with clean food grade disposable gloves.

Place the saucepan over a very low heat to gently heat the egg whites and melt the sugar. Stick your hand into the egg and sugar and stir continuously with your hand. While using your hand in this way, you can control the temperature to ensure the egg white and sugar does not rise above 37C. Stir till the sugar is dissolved. You may need to remove the saucepan from the heat every now and again, returning it to the heat to control its temperature.

When the sugar is dissolved and you cannot feel any sugar between your fingers, transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Add the vanilla paste and whisk the egg whites until bird beak stage, when the meringue should hold its shape.

Remove the mixing bowl from the machine, and sieve the cocoa powder and ground cinnamon over the meringue. Do not mix through. Use two large soup spoons to scoop a large spoonful of the mixture onto the tray for each meringue. Don’t be tempted to mix the cocoa through the mixture or you will spoil the effect of the chocolate and cinnamon swirl.

Drop spoonfuls of meringue mixture onto the prepared baking trays, leaving sufficient gaps as they swell while cooking. Don’t be concerned if the chocolate and cinnamon is not mixed through, this is the intended effect.

Place the meringues in the preheated oven, leaving a gap between the oven shelves to allow the hot air to circulate evenly.

Bake the meringues for two hours and turn off the oven. Leave the meringues in the oven to cool for 10 minutes with the oven door ajar.

Remove from the oven and gently transfer to a rack to completely cool. Keep the meringues in an airtight container for up to four days.

Kouign Amann

Photo by Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 8 August 2012

Move over macarons and cupcakes, it is the Kouign Amann that is taking the US by storm and infiltrating bakery shelves here in Australia. It’s been seen loitering in some of the trendy Sydney and Melbourne bakeries and it seems in the US the demand is outstripping supply. Just quietly, the French are way ahead of us by a few hundred years, but don’t worry all good things come to those who wait.

Unless you’re a competent cook, then waiting is something you might have to do, because this little slice of heaven is a tad time consuming, but not impossible to do. 

What is Kouign Amann you might ask? It’s sometimes been described as a cake or a pastry, but always sublimely addictive. It originates in Brittany, France and the pronunciation is something like ‘kween amon.’ The dead give away, is that in the Breton language it translates to ‘cake butter.’ Getting the idea now? In around 1860, pastry cook Yves Rene-Scordia opened a bakery in the coastal Breton town of Douarnenez and his speciality so impressed the locals that it soon grew into an obsession. 

If like me, you find a flaky, pure butter croissant or a pillowy and light brioche simply irresistible, expect to find yourself hooked on Kouign Amann. It is partly about the texture, but it’s more the crisp caramelisation of the outside shell of the cake with the flaky buttery layers that creates the desire to further indulge. It takes considerable willpower to stop at one piece.

You will need to set yourself an afternoon aside to create these buttery gems, and find a warm spot in the house to allow the dough to rise for a couple of hours before baking. If you don’t have a warm corner to allow them to rise, I placed the two dough-filled cake tins, covered in plastic wrap, under the doona in the spare bed with the electric blanket on low. This worked a treat. In actual fact they kept my rye mother company which was fermenting and bubbling away between the sheets.

Don’t be put off by the difficulty, Kouign Amann is not only incredibly satisfying to make, it is even more satisfying to eat.

500g plain flour
320ml cold water
15g salt
8g of dried yeast
350g unsalted butter at room temperature
300g sugar

In a large bowl, place the flour, water, salt and dried yeast. Mix the dough until it forms a combined mass. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer with a dough hook. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic film and refrigerate for about one hour.

On a floured bench, roll the dough out flattened to a square about one centimetre thick and dust with flour.

Place the butter between two sheets of baking paper and using a rolling pin, bash the butter to flatten to about one centimetre thickness and place it centrally on top of the rolled out square of dough, so it doesn’t quite reach the sides of the pastry. Fold the four edges of the dough into the middle to completely envelop the butter. Roll the top of the dough slightly to seal the folded edges to stop the butter from escaping.

Roll the pastry out to a rectangular strip about one centimetre thickness. Take the shorter and lower end of the strip and fold it up one-third of the way toward the top. Now fold the top down to fit over the first fold to form a neat rectangle with no overlapping sides.

Place the folded dough onto a baking tray and cover with baking paper, and again refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and with the outside fold facing to your right, roll it out again to a long rectangle about one centimetre thickness.  Sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar, then fold it again as before, coating all sides with sugar. Place in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.

Repeat the previous step of rolling, coating with sugar and folding one more time, then rest the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. For each roll, place the outside folded seam to your right before rolling. This technique will give you the flaky and buttery layers.

When refrigerated, roll the pastry out to a rectangle of one centimetre thickness. Cut it in half, then fold the four corners of the dough to meet in the centre, so you have a smaller square. Roll lightly over the folds to seal and sprinkle with a little more sugar. You should have used most of the 300 grams of sugar. Place the two pieces of dough in two buttered cake tins, pressing slightly so the dough fits the tins well.

Cover the cake tins with a tea towel and leave to rise for two  hours in a warm place. Or place in your heated bed with the electric blanket on low.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a rack. Don’t undercook the Kouign Amann, it needs to be very dark and caramelised. The outside should be dark

Breton biscuit

Breaking of the Breton biscuit. Photos by Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 13 June 2012

The universe aligns for me when I am exposed to that fatal combination of sweetness and saltiness. Throw in butter, and it becomes something far better than the sum of its parts, achieving a richness of universal proportions. 

In western France, we first come across the fun but oddly informal tradition of guests reaching into the middle of the dining table and breaking off fat chunks of  this sweet and salty, buttery biscuit which is brought to the table in the form of a large, golden slab.

In the Normandy and Brittany regions, butter is king and remains an integral patisserie ingredient. The high quality, unsalted butter used in this recipe is the catalyst that creates the texture, and releases the fine flavour and irresistible smell of the biscuit while baking. It makes a huge difference to the finished taste, and this is one of those instances where price does count, so buy the best butter you can afford.

These traditional Breton biscuits date back to the 1800s and are instantly recognisable by the criss-cross pattern on the top, made shiny by painting liberally with an egg wash before they go into the oven.  This large cookie is no exception and takes the shape of whatever large biscuit slide or pan you might have available.  I usually make mine in a rectangular oven tray.

This substantial biscuit has all the punch it needs to be served alongside a strong, black coffee.

You can make this biscuit dough a few days ahead and store wrapped in cling wrap in the refrigerator or freeze in an airtight container. This dough quantity makes enough to cover a large baking tray.

A timely warning at this point though. These need to be eaten in moderation as they are seriously addictive and probably don’t form part of any nutritionally appropriate diet. But we don’t indulge that often, do we?

 

1 ¾ cups plain flour

⅔ cup sugar

130g good quality, unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

¼ tsp sea salt flakes

6 tbsp cold water

2 egg yolks for glazing

1 tsp extra sea salt flakes for scattering on top

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and blend to combine. Gradually drop in the cubes of butter until the mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs.  With the machine still running, gradually add the cold water, just enough to produce a dough that forms a ball. The dough should feel soft.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, form into a flattened square and cover with cling film and refrigerate to rest for an hour or so. The dough can be left refrigerated for a few days at this point.

When you’re ready to bake the dough, preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.  Remove the dough from the fridge to allow it to soften just enough to be malleable.

Roll the dough out between 2 layers of cling wrap or baking paper and roll into a rectangle about 5mm in thickness. Roll to fit your baking tray.

With a spatula, lift the dough onto the lined baking tray. Beat the egg yolks together with a teaspoon of cold water and using a pastry brush, paint the surface of the dough. With a fork or a sharp knife, score the surface into a criss-cross pattern, by first making lines one way, then the other. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with the extra sea salt flakes.

Bake the biscuit for about 30 minutes, checking its edges do not burn. If you feel they are browning too much, cover the edges of the biscuit with a strip of alfoil to protect them while the centre of the biscuit continues to brown.  The biscuit should be a shiny golden brown.

Transfer carefully onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature and serve in the centre of the table to allow guests to break off pieces when they want.

Paris brest

Paris Brest. Photos by Steve Shanahan

It’s that time of year when glazed-eyed cycling fans are glued to late night telly watching sweaty fellas on two wheels toughing it out through the impossibly picturesque and often steep French countryside, competing in the Tour de France. 

For those of us who are non-cyclists, don’t despair. You can get into the quintessentially French spirit of this event by providing tempting sustenance to those devotees of the be-spoked wheel,  in the form a Paris Brest. 

The traditional Paris-Brest is a bicycle wheel shaped choux pastry creation, filled with patisserie cream and topped with almonds and icing sugar. It was originally created in 1891 in honour of the Paris to Brest bicycle race, by a pastry cook whose shop was situated along the route. This spare wheel was filled with high calorie cream to provide sustenance to the race participants.

The patisserie cream filling can be substituted with fresh whipped cream and strawberries, which is a lot less work and much more economical. It also gives a lighter and fresher result.

You will need a large pastry bag, with a wide nozzle about 18mm wide and strong arms to mix in the eggs. Alternatively, you could use an electric mixer with a dough beater, to mix in the flour and eggs, being careful not to over-mix the paste. I still prefer to do the mixing with a wooden spoon, this little bit of exercise eases my guilt before indulging.

For flavour variations, add a few drops of liqueur to the cream, such as, Frangelico or Kahlua. If chocolate is more your thing, you could drizzle the top with melted chocolate, then decorate with toasted almonds.

This popular dessert is found in good patisseries all over the world, but is an easy and impressive one to make at home. It’s a standout sweet that will provide calorific encouragement while watching the famous race and guaranteed to cheer on celebrations at your Tour de France parties.

The quantity makes a 23cm round pastry that can be sliced into six to eight portions.

150g unsalted butter

225g plain flour, sifted twice

pinch of salt

7 free range eggs, medium size

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 extra egg, lightly beaten

30g flaked almonds

600ml pure cream

scraped vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

2 tbsp caster sugar

punnet of strawberries, hulled and sliced

icing sugar for decoration

Preheat the oven to 200C. Draw a 20 centimetre circle on the back of a piece of baking paper in a dark pen so that the circle shows through onto the other side. Using a baking tray that will take the size of the paper. Spray a few dots of oil onto a baking tray to help the paper stay in place. Place the paper on the baking tray, pen side down.

Melt the butter with 375ml of water in a saucepan, then bring it to a rolling boil. Transfer the saucepan to a heat-proof work surface, such as a silicone mat. This will provide a non-slip surface for mixing the paste. 

Add the flour all at once to the butter and water mixture in the saucepan. Add the pinch of salt. Return to the heat and beat continuously with a wooden spoon to make a smooth shiny paste that comes away from the sides of the pan. Once it does this, remove from the heat and cool for a few moments.

Beat in the eggs one at a time until shiny and smooth, the mixture should drop off the spoon, but not be too runny. Beat in the sugar.  

Standing the pastry bag in a tall jug, open the top up and fold it back, filling the pastry bag with the paste. Pipe a pastry ring over the circle guide you have drawn. Now pipe another ring of pastry directly inside this one so that you have one thick ring. Pipe another two circles on top of the first tow and continue until all the choux pastry has been used. Brush the choux ring with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

Bake the choux ring for20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180C and bake for a further fifteen to twenty minutes. Remove from the baking tray and place on a wire rack. Immediately slice the ring in half horizontally, using a serrated bread knife. Make the base twice as deep as the top. Lift off the top and scoop out any uncooked pastry from the base. Leave to cool completely.

Whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until very stiff. Fill the pastry base with the cream and top with sliced strawberries. Cover with the pastry top and dust with icing sugar.

Strawberry powder puffs

Photo by Steve Shanahan

First published 9 May 2012 Canberra Times.

Not only does Mother’s Day provide the opportunity to lavish attention on Mum, it’s also an excuse to showcase your cake baking skills.

These gorgeous little powder puffs are incredibly quick and easy to make, and they can be produced at very short notice, perfect for the kids or Dad to cook for Mum on her day.

This cute old-fashioned English recipe dates back to when the vicar would drop by for afternoon tea. The cakes were baked in advance and stored in an airtight container, then filled with whipped cream and jam, sprinkled with icing sugar and put aside. They rise again slightly when filled and left for an hour or so. By the time the vicar came to call, the powder puffs were ready to eat.

2 eggs

½ cup caster sugar

½ cup plain flour

½ cup cornflour

2 tspn baking powder

½ cup strawberry jam

¾ cup whipped cream

Icing sugar for dusting

Makes about 15

Preheat the oven to 220C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until well mixed, then gradually add the sugar, beating for 8 minutes or until thick and creamy. Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder together and fold in lightly by hand.

Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1cm nozzle and pipe into rounds, placing them well apart on the trays. If you don’t have a piping bag, spoon teaspoons of the mixture onto the trays.

Bake for 4 to 5 minutes until evenly but lightly coloured. Remove from the oven and lift the cakes carefully with a spatula, onto a wire rack to cool. When cool store in an airtight container, separating the layers with sheets of baking paper to stop them sticking together.

An hour or so before serving, join the cakes together in pairs with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Dust them with icing sugar and place them in a covered container until they become light puffs.

Caramelised fig nests and balsamic ice cream

Photo by Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 2 May 2012.

Descending the ladder very carefully with a colander of late harvest figs tucked precariously under my arm, I notice there are still a lot of unripe figs left on the tree and some that have been half munched. Already planning the next harvest, I dream of an early winter Italian style lunch dessert, stuffed with chocolate, nuts and preserved in brandy.

I replace the netting, do a boundary check of the fig tree and I believe it to be secure. The possums around here are pretty sneaky and I wonder if they are watching, planning their night assault, while my guard Spoodle snores under his fluffy doona, and doesn’t give a fig about guarding the tree!  

A number of today’s harvested figs are just verging on the ripe side, and will be chopped and poached in star anise, cinnamon and pepper to form a sauce.  This will work well with roasted figs and pre-made caramel and balsamic ice cream that is already languishing in the freezer. The sharpness of the balsamic vinegar, balances perfectly with the large, musky figs and will make a fine ending to our family lunch.

As it’s a special occasion, I decide to fancy up the dessert by adding some honey flavoured wafers, known as Tuiles in France, that I curve over a rolling pin while still warm, creating a little nest for the caramelised figs to sit in. This is a simple and impressive technique and easily done ahead of time.

The three components of this dessert can all be made separately, in advance and can be used individually. If you choose to make only the caramelised figs with the ice cream, or the ice cream with the wafers, the flavours will still work well.

Serves 5 to 6 people

Balsamic Ice Cream

1 cup caster sugar

¼ cup good quality balsamic vinegar

6 egg yolks

2 cups milk

150ml double cream

200m good quality balsamic vinegar, extra

Spicy Syrup

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 cup of fresh orange juice

2 cinnamon sticks

3 star anise

½ tspn cracked black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh figs (they can be a little unripe)

Wafers

85g unsalted butter, softened

½ cup icing sugar, sifted

grated zest of 2 lemons

½ cup honey

100g plain flour

50g rolled oats

12 -15 fresh figs, halved

icing sugar, for dusting

Ice Cream

Firstly, make the ice cream. You will need to prepare it at least the day before you need it.

Combine the sugar and just enough water to cover in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to the boil, without stirring, until the syrup becomes a light golden colour. Remove immediately from the heat and carefully add the 60ml of balsamic vinegar. Return to the heat and stir until smooth, then remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold.

In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Put the milk and cream in a large saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, then return to a clean saucepan over medium heat.

Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil, as it will curdle. Strain through a fine sieve, then allow to cool to room temperature.

Put the extra 200ml of balsamic vinegar in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it reduces to a syrup consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk the cold sugar toffee mixture into the custard. Transfer to an ice cream machine and churn. Alternatively, transfer to a shallow metal tray and freeze, whisking every couple of hours until creamy and frozen.

When the ice cream is nearly frozen, gradually pour in the reduced balsamic vinegar and stir through to create a rippled effect, using a skewer of fork.

Wafers

Preheat the oven to 160C. Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and pale. Add the honey and flour and beat until smooth.

Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Using a spatula, smear 8 very thin layers of wafer mixture in an oval shape about 10 cm long, then sprinkle with the rolled oats and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until evenly golden coloured. I always make extra to allow for breakages.

Remove from the oven, working quickly, using a clean spatula, carefully remove one wafer and shape it by placing over a rolling pin to curl. If the wafers are too soft to remove, just wait a moment and they will set hard enough to handle. If they set too quickly and aren’t quite the desired shape, just return them to the oven for a moment and they will flatten out again. They are incredibly resilient, although look very delicate.

Repeat the process, lining them up along the rolling pin. Make sure the rolling pin does not roll. When the wafers have hardened remove from the rolling pin and repeat the process for the remaining wafers. Returning them to the oven to soften if needed. The wafers will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

Spicy Syrup

Combine the sugar and just enough water to cover in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, without stirring, until the syrup becomes golden in colour. Immediately remove from the heat and carefully add the orange juice. Add the chopped figs, star anise, cinnamon and the cracked black pepper.  Return the pan to the heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.  Strain through a fine sieve, squeezing through as much of the liquid as possible, then set aside.

Figs

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the figs cut side up, on a baking paper lined tray. Dust liberally with icing sugar, then roast for 8 minutes, or until the figs have begun to caramelise and are golden.

To serve, place a curved wafer on each serving plate and arrange two or three fig halves in the centre of each wafer. Drizzle the spicy syrup over the figs and serve with 2 scoops of balsamic ice cream.