Eton Mess Ice Cream with Hazelnut Meringue

I can’t get enough of strawberries when they are in season. They’re a great source of vitamin C, manganese, folate and also contain potassium and fibre (to keep your digestive system moving).

What you will need:

1 cup of almond milk or goats milk

1 cup of caster sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 medium egg yolks

1 cups of double cream

For the strawberry puree:

A punnet of strawberries

Teaspoon of vanilla essence

For the hazelnut meringue:

2 egg whites

50g hazelnuts 

½ tsp lemon juice 

50g golden caster sugar 

50g icing sugar 

25g ground hazelnuts

How to make it:

First make the hazelnut meringue (and this can also be done in advance):

1. Whisk the egg white and lemon juice until soft peaks

2. Add the sugar and whisk again until stiff peaks

3. Add the ground hazelnuts and icing sugar and fold in. 

4. Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 120C for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. 

To make the ice cream:

1. Heat the milk and sugar over a low heat till warm but not boiling.

2. Meanwhile beat the vanilla and eggs.

3. Pour a little of the warm milk over the eggs and keep whisking.

4. Pour back into the milk saucepan and keep stirring over a medium heat until it thickens into a custard (you will know when its ready as it will coat the back of a spoon). Note - if the egg cooks and you get scrambled egg in your custard don’t panic! Two solutions: take it off the heat and sieve it or pour it into a blender and pulse blend it. It has happened to me occasionally and the latter always fixes it.

5. Let it chill in the fridge for a few hours.

Meanwhile make the strawberry puree:

1. Wash and chop a punnet of strawberries

2. Gently simmer in a pan on the stove with a teaspoon of vanilla essence and a couple of tablespoons of water until the strawberries fall apart. 

3. Let this cool and either push through a sieve or blitz in a blender. 

4. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Next churn the cooled custard:

1. Churn the cooled custard (usually 20-30 minutes) pouring in the strawberry puree as it churns

2. When the ice cream is ready, put a handful of broken meringue on the bottom of your tub, gently fold the same again into the ice cream before filling the tub and sprinkle the same again over the top of the tub.

3. Freeze until you’re ready to eat it. The ice cream will firm up in the freezer so I always let it sit out of the freezer to loosen up before devouring!