Walnut and chestnut honey ice cream

By: Skye Gyngell
From: Spring
Serves: 8-10
Photographer: Andy Sewell

Make this ice cream in the early months of autumn when young walnuts become available. Sometimes referred to as ‘wet walnuts’, they have a soft, creamy texture and a delicious sweet flavour; their skin is flaky and free of bitterness. Buy only the amount that you need – in their shells – as they are very perishable. I like to include as many walnuts as possible, to give the ice cream plenty of crunch and texture, but you can use less if you prefer. Chestnut honey has a pronounced flavour – slightly malty and almost bitter. It lends a distinctive note, but feel free to use a lighter, fragrant honey, such as acacia, if you prefer.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient

For the vanilla ice cream base

Quantity	Ingredient
450ml	organic double cream
350ml	organic whole milk
1	vanilla pod, split in half lengthways
6	organic free-range medium egg yolks
120g	caster sugar

For the walnut and honey flavouring

Quantity	Ingredient
300g	freshly shelled young walnuts
2 tablespoons	chestnut honey

Method

Prepare the vanilla ice cream base and chill thoroughly overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the walnuts on a baking tray and warm in the oven to slightly accentuate both their flavour and bite – no more than a couple of minutes, as you are not looking to colour them. Remove and allow to cool slightly, then chop roughly or pound coarsely using a pestle and mortar.
Spoon the honey into the chilled custard base and stir well to combine. Transfer to your ice-cream machine and churn until almost set, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, generally about 20 minutes. Add the walnuts and churn for a couple more minutes, just to distribute them evenly. Store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve.