Häagen-Dazs Spring Flavours and Recipes

Häagen-Dazs new flavours (limited editions): Lychee Raspberry Rose  and  Apricot Lavender

Spring has just arrived, what a delightful season!  Fantastic time to start enjoying the outdoors with newly flourishing gardens and renewed energy for the rest of year ahead. I was asked to collaborate with Häagen-Dazs to came up with recipes using their new (very limited edition) ice creams for Spring 2016. To celebrate the new season, Häagen-Dazs is launching two unique ice cream flavours:

Lychee Raspberry Rose using Turkish rose extract and stirring in real lychees and raspberries – I just adore Lychee, so I knew it would be a winner for me. This recipe reminds me of Ispahan  Pierre Hermé best-selling macaron. The rose taste and aromas are quite strong, but you still find the lychee taste in there together with the raspberry tang. 

The Apricot Lavender has a delicately aromatic base, a thick apricot sauce and real apricot pieces sourced from Morocco blended throughout.
I remember trying homemade lavender ice cream in the South of France but thought it was a bit ‘soapy-like’ in taste. However, the Häagen-Dazs is well balanced with the apricot just cutting through with its fruitiness. 
Both ice creams are very floral, fruit, feminine perfume takes over the room and suitable for the new season.

These ice treats are exclusively available at Liberty’s London. It’s worth a trip to taste and purchase these ice-creams available from the 11th April to Sunday 24th April at the store at the RRP £5.95 (each).

No surprisingly, Häagen-Dazs has created another two very palatable ice creams, the tubs designed by Jardins de Babylone, a team of botanical artists from Paris, meaning the products fit seamlessly into Liberty’s luxurious shop floor.

Using the new flavours on sweet treats

Ice cake

Ice cake recipe

serves 5-6
easy
timing: 4 hours – 3.5 hours inactive

Ingredients
1 recipe of simple cake (below)
500g of Häagen-Dazs ice cream
raspberry jam, seedless
25ml cognac
200ml whipped cream
30g Icing sugar (powdered)

Cake Ingredients
 110g plain flour
 110g  butter, at room temperature
 110g caster sugar
 2 large organic eggs
1/2teaspoon baking powder

Cake Method:
1)Preheat the oven to medium heat at 180 C. Prepare a round 18cm diameter mould (cake tin) butter and parchment paper, reserve it.
2)Measure all the ingredients place them in a large bowl.
3)Mix all of the ingredients using a whisk, until well blended.
4)Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
5)Place the cake in the oven and bake until golden brown 20-25 minutes.
6)Cool on a wire rack before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
7)Take the ice cream out of the freezer, about 20 minutes before moving to the next step. Once the cake is at room temperature, unmold and cut the top to level it.
8)Place the cake back into the cake tin and spread a thin layer of raspberry jam and cognac mixed and top with a layer of ice cream, which should be soft enough and spreadable by now. Smooth it over and level. Place the cake/ice cream in the freezer for a further about 2-3 hours.
8)Whip the cream and icing sugar and spread over the cake. (I added a few drops of pink food colouring)
9)Place in the freezer until ready to serve. Retrieve from the freezer about 10-15 minutes before serving.
10)Decorate with fresh raspberries and rose petals.

Ice cake

Ice cake

Deep fried ice dream recipe

I’ve been dreaming of making this recipe for ages. I had a look around the web for some inspirations.  I love the contrast between hot and cold and silky texture of the ice cream against the crisp shell. It’s important to work quite quickly on the few making stages of this method. 

Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 15-20 minutes before start working.
Serves: 4
easy
time: 5 hours (lots of 2 and 1 hours in the freezer, inactive)  + frying time

Ingredients:
500ml of Häagen-Dazs ice cream (Apricot and Lavender)
150g digestive biscuits
50g Hazelnuts blanched
1 organic egg
Oil to deep fry

serving suggestion:
Lavender honey- drizzle
apricot sauce

Method:
1)Quickly scoop ice cream into 4 round balls and place on a paper-lined tray in the freezer. Freeze them for about 2 hours until very firm.
2)Crush the digestive biscuits and hazelnuts into fine crumbs and place in a shallow tray.
3)Roll the frozen balls in the crumbs to cover evenly, then back into the freezer for another 2 hours or more.
4) In a bowl lightly beat one egg. Quickly cover each ball first in egg mix, shake off the excess, followed by a second coat of the crumbs.
5) Return the coated balls to the freezer for another 2 hours. I actually left overnight.
6)fill a deep-fryer or a large saucepan with sunflower oil and heat to 190°C. If you don’t have a deep-fryer thermometer, a cube of bread will turn golden in 30 seconds when oil is hot enough.
7)Fry the balls in two batches, fry each ice cream ball for 10-15 seconds until golden. Remove from the oil with the help of a slotted spoon, drain briefly on a paper towel, then plate them immediately, and drizzled with lavender honey on top of apricot sauce.

Fried Ice cream

Fried Ice cream

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Disclosure: Written in collaboration with Häagen-Dazs. I was sent the new flavours ice cream and compensated for my time. I retain full editorial control over this post. All opinions are my own.