Recipe: Alex Mackay’s Raspberry Frozen Yoghurt

Cool down this summer with Alex Mackay’s raspberry frozen yoghurt recipe, sure to cause a ripple of excitement in ice cream lovers of all ages.

Recipe: Alex Mackay’s Raspberry Jam Ripple Frozen Yoghurt

This is a simple way of making ‘ice cream’. It’s tangy, refreshing and delicious, just the thing for a summer’s afternoon or a reviving breakfast. You don’t absolutely need an ice cream machine for this recipe, but the texture will be smoother and lighter if the frozen yoghurt is made in one. I would highly recommend getting an ice cream machine for your birthday – it’s like having a bit of Willy Wonka’s factory at home. You can eat the raspberry yoghurt unfrozen, or put it into shallow dishes, chill them nearly to the point of freezing, and then caramelise the top as you would a crème brûlée.

Ingredients

Serves 2

For the jam (makes 1.9kg):

• 1kg jam sugar
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest and juice (3 tbsp) of 1 lemon
• 1kg raspberries or blackberries

For the ice cream:

• 1 x 250g tub full-fat yoghurt (the more fat the better), or fromage blanc
• 250g raspberry or blackberry jam

Method

1. To make the jam, get a large (24cm) heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the jam sugar, the citrus zest and the lemon juice. Add the raspberries. Give it all a gentle toss rather than stir so as not to break up the raspberries. Gently bring to the boil.
2. Watch over it and make sure that the sugar dissolves before it starts to boil. Stir occasionally to make sure that the jam doesn’t stick to the bottom. Once the jam boils, boil rapidly for 4–5 minutes, stirring every now and then. The temperature should be 104°C. Take the pan off the heat.  Pour the jam into a bowl. Stir gently every now and then as it cools. This will help distribute the fruit evenly
3. Spoon the fruit into sterilised jars just before the jam has set. Fill the jars right up to the top. Cover the jars first with clingfilm, which should touch the surface of the jam, then with the lids. Leave to cool. Store in the fridge or a cool place.
4. To make the ice cream, take a shallow plastic or earthenware container. Add the yoghurt. Whisk in two-thirds of the raspberry jam. Put the tray in the freezer and freeze for six hours, vigorously stirring the mixture every 30 minutes. (I found it easiest to leave my whisk in the dish in the freezer.)
5. After about three hours, when the yoghurt begins to harden, take it out of the freezer and fold in the rest of the raspberry jam, combining the two just enough to make streaks through the mixture. Freeze for a further two to three hours before serving. If you have an ice cream machine, just pour the original mixture into it and churn. Once it is ready, add the final third of the raspberry jam and churn once or twice until it streaks through the mixture.
6. Serve on frozen plates or in frozen glasses.

The Magic Fridge by Alex Mackay (Bloomsbury)