Peach melba bombe: BSFIC

I got a bit excited when Kavey announced that this month's Bloggers Scream for Ice Cream challenge was fruit-based. Paul maintains that I will eat anything as long as it is ice cream, and I do love caramelly/toffee/butterscotchy flavours, but I have a distinct preference for fruity flavours in ice cream and gelato. And of course, all the summer fruits are coming into the shops. At the moment they are mostly from Spain and warmer climes, but there is the promise of the British soft fruit season to come.

I'd also been looking for an excuse to try out Mimi's cream cheese ice cream base, or a version thereof, which I thought would go very well with fruit. Because of the high water content of the fruit, the texture was a bit more crystalline than the ideal, which I had anticipated but I couldn't be bothered trying to find peach schnapps just to use a couple of tablespoons full. Or to stir the ice cream as it froze to break up the crystals. This is an involved enough process for the lazy ice cream maker without adding to it!

For this ice cream bombe, you need to start a day ahead. You'll also need 2 freezer-proof bowls or containers, one that fits inside the other (I used a metal pudding basin with a small plastic bowl that fits inside it).

Peach melba bombe (serves loads - maybe 10?)

340g raspberries
1T caster sugar
4T chambord
4 eggyolks
75g caster sugar
300g cream cheese
170ml double cream
1T vanilla
2 peaches (freestone to make life easier, preferably yellow, which will give a prettier colour than the white ones I used), peeled, sliced and pureed.

Put the raspberries, caster sugar and chambord in a plastic tub, cover and allow to macerate overnight, stirring from time to time (or turning it over if you are confident of the box's seal).

Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar over a saucepan of simmering water for 5-10 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and they have more than doubled in volume to a fluffy mousse. 

In another bowl, whisk the cream cheese, cream and vanilla together until smooth and light, then fold through the egg mousse. Divide the mixture in half-ish (doesn't need to be too accurate). Fold the peach puree through one half of the cream cheese mixture.

Line your larger bowl or pudding basin with cling film. Scrape the peach-flavoured mixture into it. Push your other bowl down into it (might need to weight it with a ramekin or something so it doesn't float). Cover it with cling film (or the pudding basin's lid) and freeze overnight. Also cover the plain vanilla mixture and refrigerate overnight.

The following day, remove the inner bowl (you might need to fill it with hot water briefly to get it to release). Pack the macerated raspberries into the cavity, then cover over with the chilled plain mixture. Cover and freeze for several hours until firm before turning out and slicing.

The juices from the raspberries drain through and form a cap on top of the bombe.