Iced Raspberry Cranachan Food

CRANACHAN

Steps:

• To toast the oatmeal, spread it out on a baking sheet and grill until it smells rich and nutty. It will not darken quickly, so use your sense of smell to tell you when it is nutty enough. Cool the oatmeal.
• Make a raspberry purée by crushing half the fruit and sieving. Sweeten this to taste with a little caster sugar. Whisk the double cream until just set, and stir in the honey and whisky, trying not to over-whip the cream. Taste the mix and add more of either if you feel the need.
• Stir in the oatmeal and whisk lightly until the mixture is just firm. Alternate layers of the cream with the remaining whole raspberries and purée in 4 serving dishes. Allow to chill slightly before eating.

RASPBERRY CRANACHAN TRIFLE

Steps:

• First, make the crunchy oats. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Melt the butter and honey in a large saucepan, then stir in the other ingredients until everything is well coated. Spread out on a baking sheet, then bake for 20 mins until crisp. Cool, crumble into pieces, then set aside. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• For the whisky cream, beat both pots of double cream with the mascarpone, icing sugar and whisky until it is smooth and holds soft peaks. In a separate bowl, stir a couple tbsps icing sugar into the raspberries to taste.
• To assemble, spoon some raspberries in the bottom of a glass bowl, followed by a layer of cream and a layer of oats. Repeat 2-3 times, depending on your bowl size, saving the final layer of oats to scatter over before serving with a dusting of icing sugar.

CRANACHAN RIPPLE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Pour the cream and milk into a pan, then set over a low heat until just below boiling point. Take off the heat. Beat the egg yolks with the honey in a bowl until the mixture is pale, light and almost foamy. Gradually pour in the warm cream and milk, stirring all the time.
• Half-fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, then set another bowl inside that one. This will help cool the custard down later and stop it cooking as soon as it's thick enough.
• Pour the custard mixture into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add a pinch of salt and set over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of it. It's important that you don't overheat the mixture or the egg yolks will scramble. You will feel, as you're stirring, that the texture of the mixture changes - it becomes silky and slightly thicker. At this stage, pour the custard into the bowl set in the iced water. Stir in the vanilla, whisky and lemon juice, then leave to cool, stirring from time to time.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the oats, maple syrup and a pinch of salt together in a bowl, then spread out on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Bake for 10 mins. Break up any clumps of sticky oats, then return to the oven and bake another 5 mins, or until golden brown. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then break the mixture up into small chips.
• For the ripple, put the raspberries in a saucepan with 1 tbsp water and cook over a low heat until they break down into a purée (press the berries with the back of a spoon to help them collapse). Push the purée through a sieve, discard the seeds, then mix in the sugar and glucose.
• Churn the custard in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Once it holds its shape, add two thirds of the toasted oats. If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the custard into a freezer-proof container, put it in the freezer, then take out once every hour and blitz in a food processor. Do this three times, folding in the oats after the final blitzing.
• When the ice cream is frozen, but not too hard, transfer a third of it to a freezer-proof container. (If you haven't used an ice cream maker, you'll need a second freezer-proof container). Using a cocktail stick or a skewer, gently swirl the raspberry purée through it. Do the same with the next two thirds of the ice cream and raspberry purée. Top with the remaining toasted oat mixture, then cover and leave in the freezer overnight before serving.