Coffee ice cream happens to be one of the simplest to make: a milky infusion, a little whip of egg yolks and sugar, a stir and a coolant of cream. A machine to ice, smooth and thicken the cream is a luxury worth investing in. With an ice-cream-maker in the corner of the narrowest galley kitchen and a few ingredients from the most basic of shops, one of the finest desserts is always there at the flick of a switch.

Serves 4-5

600ml full-cream milk
75g coarsely ground coffee
5 egg yolks
125g golden caster sugar
400ml double cream
1-2 tbsp Tia Maria (optional)

Pour the milk into a pan, place on a low heat and tip in the coffee. Stir well and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, give it a brief whisk and cover. Leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Strain through muslin into a bowl.

Beat together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow, then add the coffee milk. Gently whisk together and pour back into the rinsed-out milk pan. Make custard with this mixture: be careful not to let it boil, but it does need to thicken slightly.

Pour into a chilled bowl and whisk in the cream and Tia Maria, if using. Leave to cool completely and remove any surface froth with a spoon. Churn in an ice-cream machine.

Extracted and adapted from Week in Week Out by Simon Hopkinson, photographs by Jason Lowe (Quadrille £20). To order for £16 (inc p&p), call The Sunday Times BooksFirst, 0870 165 8585

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