Orange Flower Water Cream Ice (Crème à la Fleur d'Oranger)

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Sweet almonds (To be blanched and skinned. You can substitute with pre-blanched almonds to save time.)
• 6 whole Bitter almonds (Bitter almonds are difficult to source in many regions due to safety regulations. If unavailable, omit entirely — do not substitute with more sweet almonds. Even a small amount of untreated bitter almonds can be harmful; only use food-safe, commercially prepared bitter almonds if sourced.)
• 0.25 pint Double cream (for almond paste) (Used to help blend the pounded almonds into a smooth paste. A quarter pint is approximately 142 ml.)
• 6 ounces Caster sugar (Fine-grain sugar that dissolves easily into the custard. Also spelled 'castor sugar'.)
• 7 yolks Egg yolks, raw (Use fresh, large eggs. Separate carefully, ensuring no white gets into the yolks.)
• 1.5 pints Double cream (for custard) (This is the main body of the ice cream base. 1½ pints is approximately 852 ml.)
• 2 wine-glasses Orange-flower water (A wine-glass is approximately 60 ml, so use about 120 ml total. Available in Middle Eastern grocery stores or specialty food shops.)
• 1 few drops Essence of vanilla (Use pure vanilla extract if essence is unavailable. Start with 3–4 drops and adjust to taste.)
• 0.5 wine-glass White rum (The original recipe specifies 'Silver Rays' white rum. Any good-quality white rum works. Half a wine-glass is approximately 30 ml.)

Instructions

1. 1Place the sweet almonds (and bitter almonds, if using) in a heatproof bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to fully submerge them and leave for 2 minutes. Drain the almonds, then squeeze each one between your fingers — the skin should slip off easily. Pat the blanched almonds dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. If you are using pre-blanched almonds, skip the boiling step and just pat them dry.
2. 2Transfer the blanched, skinned almonds to a mortar and pestle. Pound them firmly and repeatedly, scraping down the sides as needed, until you have a very fine, smooth paste with no large lumps remaining. This can take 10–15 minutes of steady pounding. Alternatively, use a food processor or high-powered blender: pulse the almonds in short bursts, scraping down the sides frequently, until the mixture becomes a fine, smooth paste. The finer and smoother the paste, the creamier your final ice will be.
3. 3Transfer the almond paste to a large mixing bowl. Add the quarter pint (approximately 142 ml) of double cream and stir it into the paste, breaking down any remaining lumps. Add the 6 ounces of caster sugar and the 7 raw egg yolks. Whisk everything together vigorously until the mixture is well combined, smooth, and the sugar appears to be dissolving into the mixture. Take your time here — a well-mixed base at this stage will give a much smoother custard.
4. 4Pour in the 1½ pints (approximately 852 ml) of double cream into the almond and egg yolk mixture. Whisk gently until everything is evenly combined. The mixture will be quite liquid at this stage — that is expected.
5. 5Pour the combined mixture into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place it over a low to medium-low heat. Stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula, making sure to reach the bottom and corners of the pan. Cook gently until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon — when you draw your finger across the back of the spoon, the line should hold cleanly without the custard running back. This typically takes 10–15 minutes over low heat. Do not allow the custard to boil, as this will cause the egg yolks to scramble. If you see steam rising rapidly or bubbles beginning to form, immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir vigorously to cool it slightly before returning to the heat.
6. 6The original recipe calls for 'tammying', which means straining the hot custard through a fine-mesh cloth (called a tammy cloth) to remove any bits of almond, cooked egg, or lumps, producing a perfectly smooth result. To modernise this: set a fine-mesh sieve or strainer over a clean large bowl. Pour the hot custard through the sieve, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to push through as much liquid as possible. Discard any solids caught in the sieve. The strained custard in the bowl should be silky and completely smooth.
7. 7Allow the strained custard to cool to room temperature. To speed this up, set the bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice and cold water (an ice bath), stirring occasionally, until the custard feels cool to the touch. Once at room temperature, cover the bowl with cling film (pressing it directly against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin forming) and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill until thoroughly cold — at least 1–2 hours, or overnight for best results. The custard must be fully cold before you add the flavourings and freeze it.
8. 8Once the custard is thoroughly cold, remove it from the refrigerator. Add the two wine-glasses (approximately 120 ml) of orange-flower water, a few drops of essence of vanilla (start with 3–4 drops and taste), and the half wine-glass (approximately 30 ml) of white rum. Stir gently until everything is evenly combined. Taste the mixture — the floral orange-flower water should be the dominant flavour, with a gentle background of vanilla and rum.
9. 9Pour the flavoured custard into your ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically 20–30 minutes, until the mixture has the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Transfer it to a lidded freezer-safe container. Smooth the top with a spatula. Press a piece of cling film directly onto the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals forming, then seal with the lid. Freeze for at least 3–4 hours, or until firm enough to scoop. If you do not have an ice cream machine: pour the custard into a shallow freezer-safe container and freeze. Every 30–45 minutes for the first 3 hours, remove from the freezer and beat vigorously with a fork or electric hand mixer to break up ice crystals. After 3 rounds of beating, leave to freeze completely for a further 2–3 hours.
10. 10Remove the ice cream from the freezer 5–10 minutes before serving to allow it to soften slightly, making it easier to scoop. Serve in chilled bowls or glasses as an elegant dessert for a dinner party, a special meal, or a celebratory supper.