Liquorice Ice Cream
n the rare occasions when Mr Anke and I argue, we argue about a) my inability to tidy up after me, b) his inability to put his dirty plates in the dishwasher, or c) his ability to polish off all the Taywell ice cream (or rather, leave a scraping in the bottom of the tub for me to find). He may be the ninth most powerful person in Tunbridge Wells, but that sort of behaviour really isn't on at all. Mercifully, though, Taywell have come up with the perfect solution - Liquorice ice cream. Mr Anke would rather eat cardamom and coriander mackerel, with a side dish of Puy lentils, followed by a very large meringue than eat this, so my tub is safe. Thank you Taywell for restoring marital harmony to the House of Anke! That is, until I drop my coat on the floor again and don't pick it up.
Yeats had Maud Gonne, Dylan had Suze Rotolo, but my muse is a packet of Fruitella Liquorice and Fruit
Of course, the best way of eating it is straight out of the tub, but it does marry well with other flavours; Banoffee ice cream is particularly good. However, my liquorice ice cream sundae is a paean to the tastiest Fruitella flavour - liquorice and orange.
No poncing about with gelatine sheets for me; it has to be the jelly squares, because you have to snip off a little raw piece as a treat. A scoop of Caramel & Fudge Pieces flavour adds an exciting element, if you can get to it before Mr Anke discovers it in the freezer (which I failed to do come photography day). But one vital ingredient is the sugar strands, as they add a vital crunch - even if you can't get hold of these fabulous Wolves FC ones I got in Morrison's. This is a very boozy and not very sophisticated affair; right up my street!
You can order Taywell ice cream online, or Pigwidgeon & Pye stock a fine range.
Taywell tasting session
Lovely Liquorice and Orange Ladybits Sundae (serves 2 - me and someone else who is Not Mr Anke)
1 sachet orange or mandarin jelly
Cointreau
2 ruby oranges
Liquorice ice cream
2 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
Sugar strands
Snip the jelly into a measuring jug (remembering to have a little raw piece as a treat), adding boiling water to the 285ml mark
Make it up to the pint mark with Cointreau. You can use Grande Marnier, but use less of it and more water because it's a bit too boozy-tasting.
Try to get rid of as much pith as you can from one of your oranges and chop into segments (I don't mind pith so I'm not very diligent in this area)
Pour into 2 sundae glasses and put in fridge and leave to set
When you're ready to eat boil up the juice from the other orange with the sugar until it reduces to a syrupy consistency
Add a scoop or two of liquorice (and some Caramel and Fudge Pieces if you like) on the top of your sundae, pour over the syrup, add your strands and eat immediately
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