Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep – Spark Lemon

After what has seemed like an eternal winter (I’ve worn some kind of coat every day for over a year now) the sun has made it’s way back North to Edinburgh. This unseasonable warmth has been glorious; barbecues in the park, lunch on Calton Hill and far too much exposed white flesh. Of course, I’m currently missing out on what is probably going to be our only week of sun for the year because I have a horrible cold. I thought I was going to have to miss this weeks post but then I realised I could make something that would be both medicinal and gaming related – as the two seem to go hand-in-hand for me anyway. I’d been holding back attempting this amazing looking treat for a suitable time to post, but now seems as good a time as any. For anyone local enjoying the weather, or someone like me with a sore throat, this Kingdom Hearts Spark Lemon sundae is perfect.

This recipe serves 4.

What you will need: Greaseproof paper/baking parchment, a rolling pin, a knife, a zester or fine grater, 2 bowls, and 2 piping bags.

Ingredients:

5 Large Unwaxed Lemons

450g / 3 Cups Vanilla Ice-cream

2 Tablespoons Lemon Curd

1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest

25g / 1 Cup Meringue (Crushed)

75g / ½ Cup Lemon Sorbet

To Garnish:

Green/Blue Royal Icing

1 Slice of Lemon

2 Tablespoons Lemon Curd

Sprigs of Mint

Preparing the Spark Lemon:

1. To make the ‘spark’ garnishes, roll out some coloured royal icing and trim into the desired shapes. You’ll need two lightning bolts per Spark Lemon. Leave the icing shapes out to air dry and become hard.
2. Take a large, decent sized lemon and cut the top off it. This will become your ‘bowl’ for the ice-cream. Hollow out the centre then pop it in the freezer to chill.
3. Meanwhile, allow the vanilla ice-cream to soften a little. Take half the vanilla ice-cream (225g / 1 ½ Cups) in one mixing bowl, and the other half in another.
4. Add the lemon curd and the lemon zest to one half of the vanilla ice-cream, mix thoroughly then return the ice-cream to the freezer to chill.
5. To the other half of vanilla ice-cream, add the crushed meringue and return it to the freezer to chill too.
6. Once the lemon is nice and cold, and your ice-creams are chilled, you’re ready to make the Spark Lemon.

Making the Spark Lemon:

1. Take the lemon out of the freezer. Put two tablespoons of lemon sorbet in the base.
2. Next, spoon in the vanilla meringue ice-cream and fill it up until it’s level with the top of the lemon. Return the lemon to the freezer until the ice-creams have chilled.
3. Once chilled, take a piping bag and fill it with the vanilla and lemon curd ice-cream. Starting in the centre of the lemon, pipe around and up to create a swirl of vanilla and lemon curd ice-cream on top.
4. Use a piping bag to create a swirl of lemon curd around the ice-cream, then garnish with a sprig of mint, slice of lemon and the icing ‘sparks’, and enjoy!

“A lemon ice cream whose sour power will have you wincing in joy”, that’s a tough mark to hit! But I did it! There’s a delightful contrast here between smooth and creamy vanilla, sweet lemon curd and tart sorbet - a treat with a serious zing. And you know, my throat is feeling much better already. Use any left over lemon and mint to make a delicious and refreshing lemonade!

Like this? You might also enjoy the Kingdom Hearts II – Sea Salt Ice-Cream.

Request: Kingdom Hearts II – Sea Salt Ice-cream

You’ll notice the addition of hearts on this post and they will be added to past posts too - it’s to give you an idea of the level of difficulty the recipe is so you can pick a recipe to suit your ability should you wish to make something. Anyway, I can’t tell you the amount of requests I’ve had for Sea Salt Ice-cream - Kingdom Hearts certainly has an incredible fan base! So I thought I’d treat you all with the first post of 2012 because I’m just that good to you. I’ve learned that this is (or was) actually available at Tokyo DisneySea and that Tetsuya Nomura’s love for the treat explains its appearance in Kingdom Hearts II. Kingdom Hearts has a lot of delicious looking ice-creams in it, I feel like I’ve missed out now by not playing it when it first came out which upon reflection seems crazy considering one of my favourite games is Mickey’s Castle of Illusion for the Sega Mega Drive and the Disney-Final Fantasy combination sounds right up my alley. Though I have no idea what it should taste like I was excited by the prospect of flavoured salts and creating a twist on the classic vanilla ice-cream.

This recipe serves 4.

What you will need: A pot, a large bowl and 2 small bowls, a sieve, a wooden spoon, a medium container, a whisk, ice-cream moulds and wooden ice-cream sticks.

Ingredients:

½ Vanilla Pod

2 Tablespoons High Quality Sea Salt Flakes

125ml / ½ Cup Milk

75g / ⅓ Cup Sugar

250ml / 1 Cup Whipping/Heavy Cream

3 Egg Yolks

Blue Food Colouring

Ice

Preparing the Sea Salt Ice-cream:

1. Add half of the vanilla seeds to the salt. Rub the vanilla into the salt until well mixed – seal and leave to infuse.
2. If you don’t have an ice-cream machine (like me) place the container you’ll chill the ice-cream in into the freezer.
3. Warm the milk, sugar and rest of the vanilla pod together in a pot on a medium heat. Cover, remove from the heat once warmed through and leave the vanilla to fragrance the milk for about 30 minutes.
4. While the milk cools set up an ‘ice bath’ – half fill a large bowl with water and ice and place a smaller bowl inside. Pour the cream into the smaller bowl and set aside.
5. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks. Rewarm the now cooled and infused milk, gradually add the milk to the egg yolks whisking constantly. Once combined return the milk and egg to the pot.
6. Heat the mixture over a low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens and forms a custard. Do NOT let it boil! If bubbles or foam appear remove it from the heat immanently.
7. Sieve the custard into the bowl of cream over the ice bath. Stir well until it begins to cool, add the blue food colouring until the desired colour is achieved then place the bowl into the fridge to chill for several hours or overnight.

Making the Sea Salt Ice-cream:

1. Pour the chilled ice-cream mixture into the prepared frozen tray then return it to the freezer or use your ice-cream maker.
2. After about 40 minutes add the vanilla salt to taste and vigorously stir or whisk the mixture as it begins to set. Check on it every 30 minutes after this, continuing to mix well. Repeat this for about 2 – 3 hours every 30 minutes.
3. Once solidified take it out and allow it to soften. Once soft spoon it into the ice-pop moulds, be wary of air bubbles forming – it’s a good idea to mix the ice-cream around in the mould to try and remove as many as possible. If it’s too soft, pop it into the freezer for a bit before sliding in the wooden sticks and placing in the freezer to set.
4. To remove the ice-cream from the mould sit it in a bath of warm water until the outside begins to melt then carefully slide them out.

Feel free to keep this ice-cream in a tub or for a more authentic look use the moulds and wooden ice-cream sticks. For any doubtful British fans this sweet yet salty mixture means the ice-cream tastes less like a full dairy, or cream laden Cornwall style and more like an ice-cream van ‘99’ taste. For Americans I’d imagine the equivalent is what you’d call ‘soft-serve’ (if America is devoid of the classic 99 cone with a Flake – I feel sorry for you). And I don’t know what it is, blue is apparently an appetite suppressant but for me bright blue foods simply means “more delicious”. Cute and quirky Sea Salt Ice-cream is a surprising balance with a wonderful texture. Also if you have any left over vanilla salt it apparently goes wonderfully with certain fish.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Kingdom Hearts - Spark Lemon.