Brown bread ice cream with caramel

There is nothing nicer than finding something you had either forgotten or thought was gone forever, such as an outfit hidden in the back of your teenager’s cupboard. Or a Chanel handbag tucked snugly away in its box (unfortunately, this hasn’t happened to me, but I can hope). Or my mother’s evening watch that I had hidden so safely that I couldn’t find it for five years (believe me, I had to make a lot of excuses). One day it was joyously rediscovered, sitting in the bottom of a jug (shows how many jugs I have!).

Even in the kitchen, there is nothing better than discovering an old recipe written on a scrap of curled paper, or torn out from a newspaper, or — even better — written by my grandmother at the back of an old cookery book. Just staring at her writing and thinking about the cake sitting magnificently on a doyley brings it and her back to life.

So today I made a discovery. I am having a dinner party tonight, and was a bit bored by my dessert repertoire. As I was trying on a brand new pink silk shirt dress, it happened, and I assure you it doesn’t happen very often. I realised I had made an outfit mistake. “On no,” I thought, “I look like mutton. I won’t be seen brown bread in this.” And then there was a lightbulb moment, from deep in the dark (very dark) recesses of my mind. And there it was on a plate, ready to serve up.

So this week, what does the Jewish Princess make as she hangs up the pink silk shirt dress in her teenager’s cupboard and then rediscovers a lost black belt? She runs down to the kitchen to whip up her vintage brown-bread ice-cream with a modern JP twist — caramel.

Serves: 10

Ingredients

130g brown breadcrumbs
115g light brown sugar
190g granulated sugar
150mls water
4 large egg yolks
575 mls parev cream

Method:

• Pre-heat grill
• Mix the breadcrumbs and brown sugar together. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking tray.
• Grill the breadcrumbs for approximately 10-12 minutes or until mixture becomes dark and caramelised.
• Remove from oven and leave to cool.
• When cool, use a wooden spoon and break mixture into bite size pieces.
• Place granulated sugar in a heavy saucepan with 50 mls of water. Heat on a medium light until the sugar has dissolved completely. Let the sugar boil until it turns a light brown, approximately five minutes.
• Slowly add a further 100mls of water into the caramel and simmer until the water has melted into the sugar and the mixture looks light brown. (This takes approximately five minutes).
• Beat egg yolks and pour syrup into them and continue to beat until the mixture thickens.
• Whisk cream and fold in egg mixture and caramelised breadcrumbs.
• Put mixture into container and freeze for at least four hours or more.
• JP’s note: Once rediscovered, will never be lost again