Christmas pudding ice cream with sautéd pineapple and a spiced caramel

James Martin combines sugar, spice and all things nice in this tropical take on a Christmas dessert.

Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need an ice cream maker.

Preparation method

1. For the Christmas pudding ice cream, whisk the egg yolks with 60g/2¼oz caster sugar until thick and creamy.

2. Place the remaining caster sugar, milk, cream and vanilla seeds and pods in a pan and bring to the boil. Pour the hot milk into the whisked yolks and stir well.

3. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a very low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

4. Cool the vanilla mixture, then refrigerate for at least one hour. Strain the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Just as the ice cream is soft enough to mix, stir in the Christmas pudding and freeze.

5. For the spiced caramel, place the sugar, star anise, cinnamon and nutmeg into a frying pan and cook, without stirring, until the sugar is melted and just golden-brown.

6. Whisk in the butter and double cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until just thickened then pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan.

7. For the sautéd pineapple, heat a large frying pan and add the butter. Once hot and melted, add the pineapple and cook for a couple of minutes on each side.

8. To serve, place the cooked pineapple on serving plates with a spoonful of ice cream. Drizzle the caramel sauce over.