Mars & Baileys Ice-Cream Sauce

Warm gooey sauce for grown ups who like ice-cream

A couple of mars bars
Baileys

Method

1. Chop up your mars bars nice and small  so that it melts really quick (patience isnt always a strong suit of mine)
2. Add Baileys a little at a time and mix well. I havent specified how much Baileys (after all who am I to judge) but you want a thick pouring consistency

Brandy Butter / Whiskey Butter

This is essentially alcoholic butter icing served with Christmas Pudding or Mince Pies.

Butter
Icing Sugar
Brandy / Whiskey / Whisky

Beat Icing into butter until the butter will take no more icing sugar the add a generous jigger of alcohol and beat again.  Chill in the fridge until you're ready to use it.

Malteser and Mars Bar Chocolate Brownie Sundae

1 Small Bag Maltesers
Brownies
Vanilla Ice Cream
Mars Bar Ice Cream Sauce
whipped Cream

1. Break up some brownies and place a layer down the bottom of a Sundae Glass
2. Add a scoop of Vanilla Ice 
3. A layer of sauce and a sprinkle of crushed Maltesers for texture
4. Repeat 1-3 until you top it with cream and sprinkle crushed Maltesers on top.

Mars Bar Ice Cream Sauce

I have the palate of a child and adore sweet sticky goodness.  This is the very definition of simple and sinful.  For the grown ups you can add a little Irish Cream Liqueur for a Baileys and Mars Sauce.

250ml Cream
1 x Mars Bar

Method

1. Chop up the Mars bar really fine 
2. Add Mars bar and cream to a pot and heat over a low heat, stirring all the while until the Mars bar melts. 
3. Serve warm with Ice-Cream. 

Vanilla Ice Cream

If you're going to make Ice Cream then start with the basics good Vanilla Ice Cream can hold its own again just about any other flavour in my books.  This recipe came from http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com with a few adjustments.


Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
500ml Cream
100g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod

1. Pour the cream into a saucepan and simmer. Place the vanilla pod into it and leave to infuse for about 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl, beat and mix together the egg yolks and sugar until thick. 
3. Carefully remove the vanilla pod from the pan of milk and scrape out the seeds into the milk. Pour the milk into the mixture of egg yolks and sugar whilst stirring. 
4. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat gently, stirring until the custard thickens - DO NOT BRING TO THE BOIL OR IT WILL PROBABLY CURDLE.  
5. When you can see a film form over the back of your spoon it's time to remove the saucepan from the heat. Leave to cool. 
6. Transfer the whole mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

Creme Caramel (Spanish Flan)

 This recipe came off the Lidl recipe website.  I made this going over to a friends house for dinner and though it was fine leaving the house by the time I had cycled to my friends house the ramps on the road had gotten the better of it and it looked more like scrambled egg.  This recipe calls for moulds which I didn't have so I used a pyrex casserole dish instead which did the job of making one large creme caramel  rather than four small ones. 


4 medium free range eggs, 2 whole eggs plus 2 yolks
600ml semi skimmed milk
175g caster sugar
1 strip lemon rind

Method

1. In a medium pan heat 100g of caster sugar until completely melted, then boil rapidly until a golden brown caramel.
2. Pour the hot caramel into 6 small 200ml ramekins or metal pudding moulds and swirl it around the bottom, then leave to set.
3. Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan oven/gas mark 5.
4. Put the milk and lemon rind into a pan and bring to just below boiling point.
5. Whisk the eggs and remaining 75g caster sugar together, then pour the milk over the eggs, continuing to whisk as you pour.
6. Strain the custard into the ramekins or pudding moulds.
7. Sit the dishes in a small roasting tin and pour hot water into the tin to come halfway up the ramekins or pudding moulds sides. Bake for 20-25 minutes until custards are just set.
8. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
9. To serve, run a knife around the edges of the custard and turn onto a small plate.

Custard (Creme Anglais)

Creme Anglais, the literal translation of which is English cream, is in fact a combination of milk or cream, eggs vanilla and sugar heated till it thickens and then served as a sauce or accompaniment to many dessert.  I am a great fan.   In 1837 Mr. Alfred Bird in an act of what I like to think of as love, created a cornflour based alternative for his wife who was allergic to eggs .  When anyone mentions trifle it is jelly, birds custard and dream topping with hundreds and thousands sprinkled on top what comes to mind, not the fancy puds that adorn menus these days.  So I've included both custards in order to acknowledge the merits of both.  If you're a fan of custard though check out the spanish flan / Creme Caramel recipe and the custard tart recipe.  The principles of making custard are the same as making lemon curd.


Egg Custard
I made proper egg custard for the first time a few years back I have no idea where that recipe was from but this is what I use now.  I use double cream if I have it single cream if I don't and have even been know to just use milk.

1 Vanilla Pod
5 yolks
100g Caster Sugar
250ml Cream
250ml Full Cream Milk


Method

1. Split the Vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.  Add to milk and cream and bring to a simmer don't let it boil.  Remove the vanilla pod.
2. Whisk yolks and sugar together until thick and pale.
3. Add the Milk mix slowly to the eggs to prevent the eggs scrambling (it would do no harm to let it cool slightly) stirring all the while.
4. Pour the mix back into the pot and heat slowly and gently stirring all the while.
5. You'll know that the custard is ready when it coats the back of the wooden spoon and you can draw your finger through and it will leave a little path.

Birds Custard 
Some people fear lumpy custard but I've never had that problem, this is how my Mama taught me to make it.


2 tablespoons of Custard Powder
500ml Milk
1 tablespoon of Sugar 

Method

1. In mug put your custard powder, sugar and just enough milk to bind them.  Mix well so that there are no lumps.
2. Heat milk in a saucepan until bubbles start to appear at the sides.   Remove from the heat and top up the mug with the hot milk.  Give it a quick stir and then empty the contents of the mug to the saucepan.
3. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until it thickens to a consistency that you're happy with.

Flavoured Cream

Cream is a great base for flavours which can compliment any dessert.  For the purposes of those listed below ordinary cream is sufficient there is no need for double cream.

Chantilly Cream - When I was a kid I thought that this was just the way cream was supposed to be.  This is softly whipped cream sweetened and flavoured with vanilla or brandy

Coffee Liqueur Cream - Softly whip cream and add Kahlua to taste

Maple Cream - Softly whip 250ml cream then stir in 2 tablespoons of Maple syrup.

Chocolate Cream - Melt chocolate in a Bain Marie and cool before folding into whipped cream

Whiskey Cream - Softly whip cream and add Whiskey to taste (you may need to sweeten with a little icing sugar).  This is perfect for Christmas Puddings and Warm mince pies.

Brandy Cream - As for whiskey cream except use Brandy instead