History Cookbook: Brown Bread Ice Cream

Healthiness : (40 votes)

Comments: Lovely in small amounts.
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Number of servings: 4-6 servings


Brown bread ice-cream is an old-fashioned English recipe. It is made from vanilla ice-cream plus crunchy caramelised bread crumbs. Ice cream and sorbets were very popular, especially towards the end of the Victorian period, amongst the rich. Richer homes had new coolers making ices popular. Victorian menus often had many courses and the ice creams and sorbets were served as a refreshing break between the richer courses of meat, fish or rich puddings.

• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 oz (90g) caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• ½ vanilla pod
• ½ pint (0.3 L) milk
• 2 oz (60g) butter
• 3 oz (90g) crustless wholemeal bread
• 2 oz (60g) soft light brown sugar
• ½ pint (0.3 L) double cream

1 oz = 28.35g rounded up in this recipe to 30g
1 UK pint = 0.568 Litres

• Weighing scales
• Measuring jug
• Pan
• Wooden spoon
• Sharp knife
• Whisk

Always wash your hands before preparing food.

1. Crumble the wholemeal brown bread
2. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and add the crumbs
3. Stir well then spread the mixture on a baking sheet
4. Bake the crumbs in a pre-heated oven at 180 centigrade for 15-20 minutes, turning from time to time until they are toasted and crisp
5. Allow to cool
6. Cut the vanilla pod open and scrape out the seeds
7. Pour the milk into a heavy-based saucepan, add the vanilla pod and seeds and bring to the boil
8. Remove from the heat and leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse
9. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl until thick and pale
10. Gradually pour on the hot milk, whisking constantly
11. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring all the time
12. When the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, strain out the pod and cool
13. Stir the cream into the custard and churn the mixture until thick
14. Take the breadcrumbs and crumble up any lumps
15. Stir the crumbs into the mixture
16. Churn for 5-10 minutes until ready to serve

There are 8 comments for this recipe.
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Name: Michelle	20th January 2017
wow! yummy! yummy!

Name: Frankie Yarwood	1st December 2016
This looks nice, it's for my homework I have to search a Victorian recipe up and I thought this was amazing in a few weeks I should hopefully be making this 😎

Name: Charlotte	26th November 2014
I love your recipes

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