Torrone ice cream

This is one of the most delicious and indulgent recipes that I'm going to include on this blog.    I came up with this recipe yesterday after trying to get hold of liquid Torrone to pour onto ice cream.  I couldn't find it anywhere - I've tried it just once, after I found it in an online Italian deli in London.  Unfortunately that deli no longer sells online, so I decided to try and make my own ice cream flavour instead, using traditional Torrone.

The Spanish version - Turron

If you've never come across Torrone before, it's an Italian sweet - a crunchy nougat made with egg whites, honey and nuts.  They sometimes sell it in Italian delicatessens and in the larger Duty-Free shops across Europe.

You can buy it online in the UK.  You can also buy the Spanish version is called Turron, it's exactly the same.

Here are some websites links where you can buy Torrone or Turron - make sure you buy the crunchy (hard) version and not the soft version.
 
http://www.eataly.com/torrone/

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/60274/Turron-Mini-Rounds

http://www.amazon.co.uk/El-Artesano-Turron-Alicante-Hard/dp/B006B8D86S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416836505&sr=8-1&keywords=turron

http://www.amazon.co.uk/El-Artesano-Turron-Alicante-Torta/dp/B003TX14IW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416836523&sr=8-2&keywords=turron

This recipe only uses 125g of Torrone, so you can enjoy the rest as nature intended!   You don't need an ice cream maker to make this - you can do it in a tupperware dish like I do.


Prep time:  1 hour
Freezing time:  3 - 5 hours
Difficulty level: easy



 Ingredients:

284 ml carton double cream

300ml milk

115g caster sugar

3 egg yolks

1 vanilla pod  (or 1 tsp vanilla essence)

1 tbsp Nutella (or other nut spread)
1 tbsp honey

50g mini marshmallows (optional)

125g hard Torrone (any flavour)


Method:

1. Split the vanilla pod with a sharp knife. 
2. Pour the double cream, milk and 75g of the caster sugar into a large saucepan.  
3. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add these to the cream mix. (if you don't have a vanilla pod, then add 1 tsp of vanilla essence instead)
4. Heat the cream until it just starts to boil.  Turn the heat to very low.
5. Add the mini marshmallows and stir until melted. 
6. Add the nut spread and honey.    (I use Nocciolata (pictured below) which is a mixture of nuts and honey)  
7. Once the ingredients have melted into the cream, remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 mins.
8. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining caster sugar until pale and creamy. (about 2 mins)
9. From the saucepan, scoop out a couple of ladles full of the cream mixture and beat this into the egg mixture to loosen the mix.
10. Reheat the cream mix in the saucepan until it comes to the boil.  Remove from heat then whisk in the egg mixture.  Return the pan to the heat, stirring continuously until the custard mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. (about 10 mins)
11. Pour the custard into a heatproof bowl and sit this in a bigger bowl that is filled with cold water and some ice. 
12. Break up the torrone into approx 1 inch pieces and place these in a food processor.  Whizz the torrone to fine pieces, but not too fine, as you want a bit of crunch in your ice cream.  If you don't have a food processor, you can use a freezer bag and a rolling pin, hammer or mallet to break up the torrone.
13. Add the torrone to the cool custard mix, then pour the mix into a tupperware container and place in the freezer.
14. After each hour in the freezer,  for the first 3 hours, give the ice cream a good stir.
15. After around 4 - 5 hours, it's ready to eat.

 Go on, treat yourself!