Anne's Kitchen What's cooking?!

So, it’s August and by now you’ve pretty much had all the classic ice cream flavours out there.

You’ve indulged in some creamy vanilla ice cream with real vanilla beans, had some super chocolaty chocolate scoops and devoured some tangy raspberry sorbet so cold and crisp it gave you a momentary brain freeze. You probably have tried some frozen yoghurt with berries and oreo cookies and played with the thought of trying some more obscure and dubious creations (anyone for bright blue bubble gum taste? No, thought so!). And you definitely have had all there is to try at your local Italian gelateria.

But what now? What do you do when all the ice cream flavours available have been explored and conquered? Been there done that, oh ice cream world, what can you offer next?!

Well, here’s the answer! Try a nougat glacé! The French desert may still be able to excite your discerning tastebuds.

Let me introduce you to your new favourite ice cream alternative. Indulgently creamy, laced with a succulent taste of honey and crunchy explosions of almonds. Add to it the chewiness of nougat and you have a new ice cream star. I should start writing the Marks and Spencer ads, right?!

Nougat glacé is a classic French desert, but strangely not well known in the UK. Go to a French restaurant and you’ll be guaranteed to find the usual suspects: crême brulée, tarte tatin and mousse au chocolat. A real pity nougat glacé isn’t a more prominent guest on our menus. But hey, what’s not yet may well be one day in the future. And it all starts here.

Now, to spice the recipe up and make it my own, I decided to substitute the nougat with Turkish delight. It works just as well, but you can play with flavours like rose and pistachio.

You can boost the recipe even more by adding a dash of alcohol. Soak the orange peel in Grand Marnier, cover and leave to rest for a few hours before adding to the recipe. Delightful. ★

Nougat Glacé with Turkish delight

Makes about 5 portions

250 ml double cream
3 tbsp sugar
2 egg whites
60g honey
50g chopped candied orange peel
100g Turkish delight (rose flavoured or with pistachios)
20g almond dragées (optional)

Pour the cream and sugar into a bowl and whisk until stiff. Put aside til later in the fridge.

Cut the Turkish delight into little cubes.

Melt the honey in a saucepan until it’s liquid and slightly starts caramelizing (the colour becomes a bit darker).

Meanwhile mount the egg whites until stiff with an electric beater. Once stiff, add the liquid honey whilst still beating the mix.

Take the cream out of the fridge and gradually add the egg white mix to it. Best use a wooden spoon and gently lift the egg whites into the mix, so that the egg white volume doesn’t collapse too much. Add the Turkish delight, orange peel and almond dragées.

Pour the mix into 5 individual glasses (or into one large container) and freeze for at least 4 hours.