This is a really lovely wintery ice cream. We served it with our Christmas pudding but it would go equally well with a bread and butter pudding. 2010 is going to be my year for ice cream!

Brown Bread and Amaretto Ice Cream
Makes approx 600ml

5 egg yollks
100g caster sugar plus 2 heaped tbsp caster sugar
400ml double cream
200ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod
60g sultanas
200ml Amaretto
5 slices brown bread
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Whisk together the egg yolks and 100g caster sugar until light and very creamy. In a large heavy based saucepan, heat the cream, milk and vanilla and bring to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the whipped egg yolks and whisk again. Return to the pan for 2 - 3 minutes to thicken. Leave to cool completely then add half the Amaretto. Blitz the bread in a food processor to fine bread crumbs. Place the crumbs in a large saute pan and toast with the cinnamon and remaining 2 tbsp caster sugar until the bread is crispy, taking care that it does not burn. Heat the sultanas in a saucepan with the remaining Amaretto until the sultanas are plump and the alcohol has evaporated. All the crumbs and sultanas to cool completely. Churn the ice cream base in an ice cream maker until almost frozen and then add the sultanas and toasted crumbs. Churn until frozen and then store in the freezer until you are ready to eat.