Ice Cream With Cranberry Syrup

by Nigella. Featured in FEAST

Introduction

Cool, satiny ice cream with a cranberry syrup so jewel-bright and shiny it could be made of molten lip gloss. My great aunt used to make an ice cream studded with raisins and candied peel that she called Australian Christmas Pudding; I loathed it. This, though, is my version, I suppose: something cold and sunny that is at the same time redolent of the holidays.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

FEAST

2004

Buy Now

Ice Cream With Cranberry Syrup — Photo by James Merrell

As featured in

FEAST

2004

Buy Now

Ingredients

Serves: 8

Metric Cups

For the Cranberry Syrup

250 grams caster sugar
250 millilitres water
175 grams fresh cranberries

To Serve

1 or 2 tub good vanilla ice cream (or white chocolate ice cream)

For the Cranberry Syrup

1¼ cups superfine sugar
1 cup water
6 ounces fresh cranberries

To Serve

1 or 2 tub good vanilla ice cream (or white chocolate ice cream)

Method

To make the syrup, put the sugar and water in a pan and give a good stir, but do not stir thereafter: if you stir a syrup as it cooks it crystallises and goes gritty; swirling the pan is permissible, however.
Put the pan on the stove and dissolve the sugar in the water over low heat, then add the berries and bring to the boil, letting the pan boil until the syrup reddens and the berries pop; this will take anything between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the properties of the pan and whether the cranberries went in fresh or frozen. If you’re watching the pan, it can seem to take longer.
Remove to a jug, and serve warmish over cold, cold ice cream.

To make the syrup, put the sugar and water in a pan and give a good stir, but do not stir thereafter: if you stir a syrup as it cooks it crystallises and goes gritty; swirling the pan is permissible, however.
Put the pan on the stove and dissolve the sugar in the water over low heat, then add the berries and bring to the boil, letting the pan boil until the syrup reddens and the berries pop; this will take anything between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the properties of the pan and whether the cranberries went in fresh or frozen. If you’re watching the pan, it can seem to take longer.
Remove to a jug, and serve warmish over cold, cold ice cream.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Warm sauce gently in a saucepan before using.