Kitty Travers' white peach and blackcurrant splits (pictured above) are a homemade ice lolly with sharp fruitiness and delicate almond flavour, made from slightly underripe peaches. You will need silicone moulds and wooden sticks.
Prep 5 min Cook 30 min Freeze 10 hr Makes 800ml (about 5 large ice lollies). Ingredients: 125g blackcurrants (frozen are OK), 225g water, 50g sugar, edible flowers to decorate. For the peach puree: 300g white peaches (about 3 medium flat or small round peaches), juice of 1 lemon, 50g water, 50g sugar.
Put the blackcurrants, water and sugar in a small pan, and simmer over a low heat until the fruit bursts and the sugar dissolves. Use a stick blender or food processor to puree the blackcurrant mixture until perfectly smooth. Strain the puree through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and set aside to cool. Wash the peaches, then slice them into a clean container, removing as much flesh from the pit as you can. Add the lemon juice, water and sugar, then puree until perfectly smooth. Strain the white peach puree into a clean bowl or small jug. Laying some silicone lolly moulds flat on a tray, insert wooden sticks leaving approximately a third of the stick visible outside the mould. Pour the peach puree to half-fill each mould – up to the level of the stick should suffice. Freeze for two hours or until the peach layer is frozen enough to add the blackcurrant puree without mixing. Pour the blackcurrant puree on top, then freeze overnight. To decorate the lollies with edible petals (lilac, pansy, marigold), line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Working quickly, pop the lollies out of their silicone moulds, dip each one into a cup of apple juice before sticking the petals to the lolly surface. Return to the freezer for a couple of minutes before serving. Eat within one week.
Kitty Travers is owner of La Grotta Ices in London, and author of La Grotta Ices, published by Vintage at £25. To order a copy, go to guardianbookshop.com.
Matthew Adlard's fresh mint semifreddo
Fresh mint is an underrated ingredient in baking, bringing a clean, vibrant taste compared with artificial extracts. Here, it's paired with chocolate as a nod to classic mint choc chip ice-cream. A semifreddo is typically made with a pâte à bombe base, creating a richer texture thanks to additional fat from egg yolks. While it requires precision when making sugar syrup, results are worth it. This is made in a loaf tin but works for individual portions in small silicone moulds.
Prep 5 min Infuse 30 min Cook 30 min Freeze 6 hr+ Serves 8-10. Ingredients: 40g fresh mint leaves, stalks removed; 400g double cream, plus extra to top up; 30g water; 20g honey; 115g caster sugar; 6 large egg yolks (110g); 100g dark chocolate curls; a pinch of flaked salt. For the chocolate shell: 100g 70% dark chocolate; 10g neutral/coconut oil.
Lightly grease a 900g loaf tin and line with clingfilm; set aside. Gently bash mint leaves to release oils, then add to a saucepan with cream. Heat until steaming, then remove from heat and cover. Leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Pass infused cream through a sieve on a tared scale, top up to 400g with fresh cream, and chill. For pâte à bombe, add water, honey and sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, add egg yolks to stand mixer bowl and whisk on medium until thicker. Once sugar mixture reaches 118C on a digital thermometer, slowly pour over whisking egg yolks. Continue whisking until bowl is cool to touch and mixture holds a ribbon – about three to five minutes. Whisk infused cream to medium-soft peaks. Fold cream in two parts through pâte à bombe base. Fold in chocolate curls and flaked salt. Pour into lined tin and freeze minimum six hours, ideally overnight. To unmould, briefly warm outside of tin, turn out onto serving plate, peel away lining, and return to freezer. For chocolate shell, melt chocolate and oil over simmering water. Remove from heat, cool for a minute, then pour over semifreddo, using back of spoon to drip down sides. Let set for a minute before serving.
Matthew Adlard is author of The Science of Baking, published by DK at £25. To order a copy for £22.50, visit guardianbookshop.com.
Terri Mercieca's salted pistachio no-churn ice-cream and olive oil biscuits
Inspired by a pistachio panna cotta with olive oil and salt at El Faro in Cadiz, Spain, this dessert combines tortas de aceite (olive oil biscuits) with salted pistachio ice-cream, plus a drizzle of Spanish olive oil and sea salt. Tortas de aceite originate from Seville, a classic Andalucian breakfast pastry. This version swaps anise for fennel and pistachio to echo ice-cream flavours.
Prep 10 min Cook 45 min Rest 1 hr 20 min Freeze 1 hr Makes 10 sandwiches. Ingredients: 125ml olive oil; 5g fennel seeds; 10g pistachios, finely ground, plus extra ground for rolling; 5g instant yeast; 30ml warm water; 60g caster sugar; 60ml white wine (or water); 280g plain flour; Demerara sugar for sprinkling. For salted pistachio ice-cream: 200g pistachio paste (70% nuts); 100g evaporated milk; 75g whole milk; 500g double cream (48% fat); 397g condensed milk; 5g sea salt flakes.
Gently heat olive oil in a pan to 120-130C. Add fennel seeds and ground pistachios, turn off heat, and leave to cool. Meanwhile, combine yeast, warm water and 5g sugar in a small bowl; leave 10 minutes until frothy. Add white wine and remaining sugar to cooled oil, then mix in flour followed by activated yeast. Knead lightly until dough forms, cover and rest one hour until puffed. Heat oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Halve dough and roll each half thinly between two pieces of baking paper to two 40cm x 30cm sheets, about 3mm thick. Put each sheet on a flat baking tray, sprinkle evenly with demerara sugar, then bake for five minutes. Turn tray and bake another five minutes until evenly golden – biscuits will puff to about 4-5mm. Immediately stamp out 20 biscuits using a 9cm cutter while still hot, then leave to cool. Whisk together pistachio paste, evaporated milk and whole milk until smooth; set aside. Whisk double cream in stand mixer until firm peaks form. Scrape down sides, add condensed milk and salt, whip again briefly to soft peaks. Add pistachio milk mixture and whip to firm peaks. Line a flat tray with baking paper. Once tortas are cool, lay half flat on tray and freeze for 10 minutes. Remove and dollop about 40g ice-cream mix onto centre of each biscuit, allowing to spread naturally. Gently place a second torta on top but don't press down. Return to freezer for 20 minutes. Remove and roll exposed ice-cream edges in finely ground pistachios, then freeze again until ready to serve. Leftover ice-cream can be frozen in a container and served with offcuts of cooked biscuits, drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt flakes.
Terri Mercieca is founder of Happy Endings and author of The Happy Endings Cookbook, published by Pavilion Books at £26. To order a copy for £23.40, visit guardianbookshop.com.
Natasha Pickowicz's salted hojicha icebox cake
Icebox cakes are effortless to put together, impressive to look at, and refreshing to eat. Here, double cream is steeped with powdered hojicha, a nutty, toasty Japanese green tea. Salty, buttery crackers taste even more delicious folded into the soft whip, along with candied peanuts for caramel crunch. The crisp inclusions are folded into the mixture in a few quick strokes, yielding beautiful slabs speckled like Italian terrazzo. Serve with extra fudge sauce and candied cherries.
Prep 10 min Chill 2 hr+ Cook 35 min Freeze 3 hr+ Serves 8. Ingredients: 18g ground hojicha; 500ml double cream; 2 egg yolks; 50g caster sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; ½ tsp kosher salt; 100g cream cheese, at room temperature; 50g candied peanuts; 100g Ritz crackers (about 26), coarsely crumbled with fingers; 75g fudge sauce, plus extra for serving.
Line a 23cm loaf tin with clingfilm or parchment paper, leaving overhang; set aside. Whisk hojicha into double cream, then steep in fridge for at least two to three hours. Pour a small amount of water into a saucepan to knuckle depth and bring to low simmer. Put egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a small heatproof bowl, whisking well. Put bowl snugly on simmering pan and, whisking continuously, cook until sugar dissolves and mix emulsifies and lightens – about three to four minutes. Remove from heat and continue whisking until room temperature and thickened – another three to four minutes. Add cream cheese and whisk until thick, glossy, and completely smooth. Strain infused double cream to remove gritty tea residue, then pour cream into a medium bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form (about five minutes by hand, or two minutes with mixer). Transfer yolk mixture to whipped cream and gently fold together until completely smooth and bouncy. Scatter candied peanuts and Ritz crackers on top, then dollop fudge sauce all over. Using a spatula, very gently fold together in just a few motions so fudge remains streaky. Pour mix into prepared loaf tin and smooth evenly. Bring up overhanging clingfilm wings to wrap, then transfer to freezer until completely set – about three to four hours. When ready, invert loaf tin onto platter, remove tin, peel back clingfilm, and serve in 2cm-thick slabs with more fudge sauce.
More Than Cake by Natasha Pickowicz (Workman Publishing, £35). To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
