Frozen Plum Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 0.25 tsp salt
• 0.25 cup sherry
• 2.5 cup cream
• 0.75 cup candied fruit
• 0.5 cup almonds, blanched and chopped
• 0.33 cup Sultana raisins
• 0.5 cup pounded macaroons

Method

Make a custard base first, as it carries the entire dish. Whisk egg yolks with half the caster sugar and salt in a bowl until pale and thick — roughly two minutes of vigorous work. Heat the milk to just below a simmer (small bubbles at the edges, not a rolling boil), then pour it slowly into the yolks whilst whisking constantly. This gradual addition prevents the eggs scrambling. Return the mixture to the pan on a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the corners, until it coats the spoon thickly and a finger drawn across the back leaves a clear trail. The temperature should sit around 82–85°C; go above 90°C and you risk grainy curds. This egg mixture will thicken further as it cools.

Meanwhile, make a dry caramel with the remaining sugar in a separate heavy-bottomed pan. Don't stir — just tilt the pan occasionally so the sugar colours evenly from amber to mahogany. The moment it darkens past golden, pour it into the hot custard in a thin stream, whisking hard. The caramel will hiss and seize slightly; keep whisking until it dissolves back into the custard. This deepens the flavour and adds body without cream alone. Strain the whole thing through fine-mesh sieve to catch any grainy bits or cooked egg flecks, then set aside to cool completely — at least two hours, or chill it overnight.

Once cool, fold in the sherry, then whip the cream to soft peaks and fold that through as well. The acid in the sherry stabilises the cream and cuts the richness. Fold in the candied fruit, blanched almonds, raisins, and pounded macaroons with a spatula, turning the bowl rather than beating — you want the nuts and fruit suspended, not crushed. The mixture should look like a studded mousse.

Pour into a terrine or pudding mould and freeze solid — at least eight hours, though overnight is safer. You don't need to stir; the high cream and sugar content keeps it soft enough to scoop. Turn it out onto a cold plate just before serving and let it soften for three minutes. The frozen exterior will develop a slight skin whilst the interior stays creamy, and the alcohol keeps the texture tender even below freezing.