The scoop on summer

With 200 recipes for ice creams, sorbets, gelatos, granitas and sweet accompaniments, The Perfect Scoop is your guide for perfect summer entertaining

Labneh Ice Cream With
Pistachio-Sesame Brittle

2½ cups home-made labneh or Greek yoghurt
1 cup heavy cream
6 tbsp good, flavoured honey, slightly warmed
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of kosher or sea salt

For the brittle
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp shelled pistachios
3 tbsp sesame seeds
½ cup sugar

To make the ice cream, whisk together the yoghurt, cream, honey, sugar and salt. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

To make the brittle, line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or grease it lightly with vegetable oil. Mix the pistachios and sesame seeds in a small bowl.

Spread the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed skillet and cook over medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquify and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to stir it very gently, encouraging the liquified sugar around the edges to moisten and melt the sugar crystals in the centre.

Tilt the pan and stir gently until all the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke. Once it has a deep golden colour, remove it from the heat and immediately stir in the sesame and the nuts. Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it with a spatula into an even layer. Let cool completely. Once cooled, chop the brittle into bite-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Freeze the yoghurt/labneh mixture in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Sprinkle chopped brittle on top before serving.

Fresh Apricot Ice Cream

1 pound squishy-ripe fresh apricots (10 to 15, depending on size)
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 drops pure almond extract
A few drops freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Slice open the apricots and remove the pits, then cut each into sixths. Place the pieces with the water in a medium, non-reactive saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, pureé the apricots and any liquid in a blender or food processor until smooth. Taste a big spoonful; if there any small fibres, press the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove them. Stir in the cream, almond extract and lemon juice.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Chocolate Sorbet

2¼ cups water
1 cup sugar
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of kosher sea salt
170 gms bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, whisk together 1½ cups of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder and the salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla and the remaining ¾ cup water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.