Monthly Archives: December 2018

Vineyard Cottages Plum Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups chopped plum (the sweeter the plum the better), plus an extra cup 1 cup milk

2 cups cream

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup vodka (you could use flavoured vodka for another level of flavour!)

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

zest of 1 lime

1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Freeze an empty freezer-safe shallow bowl or pan. Anything stainless steel works really well here but do avoid any bowls that may shatter once frozen (i.e glass)

In medium sauce pan, combine 1 cup of cream, all of the milk, sugar, and sea salt. Stirring often, heat over medium heat just until the mixture begins to steam and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, puree 1 1/2 cups of plums, and set aside. Cover the remaining cup of chopped plums, along with any juices, and set in the fridge for later.

Combine the cream mixture, pureed plums, remaining cream, vodka, and lime juice and zest and pour into your pre-frozen bowl or pan. Place it in the freezer. After 20-30 minutes, check on the mixture, once the edges start to freeze, take out the mixture and beat it using a hand mixer.

By breaking up the ice cream, you’ll help make it smooth and creamy. You cannot beat the mixture too much.Return the pan to the freezer. Every 30 minutes or so, take it back out and beat the ice cream again. Repeat until it is firmly frozen, usually around four or five mixing sessions. On your last misxing session, add the extra cup of plums and juices. Once it’s frozen, the mixture should be smooth and creamy.

If at any time the ice cream becomes too hard, place it in the refrigerator until it becomes soft enough to beat, and then continue the process.

Store the ice cream in a covered freezer container until ready to serve

The Big Foody's Favourite Ice Cream Spots

If you are only going to indulge in one cold, creamy and indulgent treat on your visit to Auckland, it will have to be where we send and recommend all our guests to visit and whom we have even created a special tour for, for our exclusive cruise customers, namely, Giapo! featuring handmade ice cream, gelato & sorbet in traditional & adventurous flavours, presented in the most amazing and creative ways!

However, there are other Ice Cream spots dotted around Auckland that are must visits too including;

• On the outskirts of the city, as you exit suburbia and enter the rural outskirts, predominantly south, east and west, you will stumble across the small road-side Ice Cream stalls serving up the most delicious fresh berry ice creams. Often placed right beside a strawberry farm and its fields of strawberries, these fresh berry ice creams are a bit of a tradition and a must stop for locals heading out of the city on the weekends and can therefore get pretty busy!

• If your are heading north, make sure that you stop in at Charlies Gelato in Matakana. One of our favourites of our lovely tour guide Colleen and her family. Charlies stocks over 40 flavours using fresh and local ingredients. It’s all handmade in small batches on a daily basis just for you. Whether you are after something fun, fruity or decadent, there will be a flavour to suit your tastes and mood! Make sure that you visit regularly so not to miss their monthly seasonal flavour.

• Juicy Gelato situated on State Highway 16 heading into Kumeu, is a dream come true for gelato, icecream, sorbet and coffee lovers. With bean bags spotted around outside to enjoy your gelato on and the never ending amount of flavours, Juicy is a hot spot over the summer months.

• You may know it better for it’s cheese, it’s scrumptious cheese toasties and maybe even it’s coffee, however the Kapiti Store also sells its own Kapiti ice cream, with amazing flavours like, Spicy Apple Crumble, Lemon Shortcake, Chamomile and Salted Kamahi Honey, Summer Nectarine plus your traditional flavours of course, your taste buds will be tempted for sure (ours are!)

These are just some of our favourites here at the Big Foody Food Tours, but there are many more, so join us on one of our Big Foody Food Tours and we’ll let you know more hidden ice cream gems.