Cassata Ice Cream (Sicily)

Desserts

Ingredients

Egg yolks - 5

Granulated sugar - 2/3 cup

Rind of 1/2 lemon or vanilla to taste

Warm milk - 2 cups

Sweetened whipped cream - 1 1/4 cups

Candied fruit, very finely chopped - 2-3  tbsps

Sugared almonds, chopped - 2-3 tbsps

Put the egg yolks into a pan, preferably a copper one with a rounded bottom and beat them vigourously. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the lemon peel or vanilla extract, then gradually stir in the milk. Cook the custard either over a low heat or, better still, in a double boiler, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard has thickened and coats the back of the spoon. It must not boil. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool, stirring from time to time. Transfer the custard to an ice cube tray, cover with wax paper and leave in a freezing compartment for about 2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes with a wooden spatula.

When the ice cream is set, line the stampo with it, leaving the middle empty. Fill the empty space with the whipped cream lightly mixed with the candied fruits and sugared almonds. Tap the stampo to spread the cream evenly and to get rid of any empty spaces, and smooth off the top. Cover with wax paper and the lid, and return to the freezing compartment of the refrigerator for another 3 or 4 hours.

Turn out to serve. To do this, dip the stampo in hot water for a few seconds and quickly invert. Serve at once.

Serves 6