In summer, we all crave something cold and comforting. Ice cream never goes out of style. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make your own delicious ice cream at home. It is a fun way to bond with your children, and it saves money.
Shihaam Domingo, fondly known as The Food Witch from Retreat Cape Town, says that for her, food waste feels like a sin. To minimise it, ice cream is always on her mind.
“Fruit at this time of year tends to overripe in the heat. It’s not so cool to eat and not always safe,” she explains.
“It’s easy to just blend it with half coconut cream and coconut milk. If you want it sweeter and creamier, you can add coconut condensed milk or sugar, then freeze.”
Shihaam Domingo
She says this method works especially well with mango, or you can make a compote from overripe fruits and save it to make ice cream later.
“Another all-fruit ice cream I love uses loads of banana as the base, with berries, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips,” she adds.
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Indigenous flavours
Domingo also enjoys working with unique flavours, storing them for when they are out of season as a special treat.
Her favourite includes sour fig: she cleans them, removes the furry hairs and top dried leaves, then soaks them in water for two days until the skin is soft enough to blend into a pulp.
She adds chopped sorrel, known as suuring stalks, and saves the flowers to add just before freezing. This version is made with whipped fresh cream and sugar, or you can cook the sour figs in sugar syrup before blending.
Another delicious indigenous combination she loves is num-num, also known as Natal plum, with rose geranium flavor.
“For me, the key is to have a good holding base, like bananas, cream, or a combination of cream cheese with whipped cream, and then add your flavours. I like to explore and experiment with what I have available.
“I don’t measure when making ice cream, and I know the flavour becomes more intense after freezing, so you need plenty of sugar. Let the fruit bring all the flavour,” she advises.
Generally, Domingo enjoys her ice cream plain, but for those who like a twist, a kei apple compote makes a delicious contrast as a topping.
“I usually use whatever I have on hand. If there are ginger cookies in the cookie jar, I crumble some over the ice cream for texture and crunch. Fresh fruit is always a winner, or even some fruit cake, which is usually abundant around the festive season,” she adds.
Teach, taste, bond and enjoy
Hosting children is something Phumeza Ngobozana from the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town truly enjoys.
She says her love comes from teaching them how to make things, rather than doing everything for them. Ice cream is often the first thing she shows them how to make.
“I believe in showing love by teaching them how to do things for themselves,” she says. “I refuse to buy something I can make at home easily and for far less than the expensive store-bought version.”
For her simple recipe, she uses only three ingredients: fresh cream, condensed milk, and vanilla essence.
Phumeza’s simple homemade ice cream (2 litres)
Ingredients:
- 1 litre fresh cream
- 1 can condensed milk (397g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- Optional toppings of your choice
Method:
- Whisk the fresh cream until it becomes thick and fluffy.
- Slowly add the condensed milk while continuing to whisk, so it blends well with the cream.
- Add the vanilla essence and mix until fully combined.
- Fold in any mix-ins you like, such as chocolate chips, nuts, or fruit.
- Pour the mixture into a container and freeze overnight.
- Before serving, leave the ice cream outside for about 10 minutes so it is easier to scoop.
- Just before serving, sprinkle crushed Oreo biscuits (or your preferred topping) over the ice cream for added texture and flavour.
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