Mary Berry's simple ice cream recipe is so easy you'll think you missed steps out

You don’t even need an ice cream maker or any specialist equipment with Mary Berry’s extra easy recipe.

As we look forward to the warmer weather ahead and with any luck, long hot summer days, thoughts also turn to the delicious treats enjoyed when the temperature dial goes up, namely ice cream. Most people prefer to buy theirs from supermarkets or ice cream vans but it’s not as hard as you may think to whip up your own that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Legendary chef Mary Berry has developed her eponymous recipe for berry ice cream and made it so easy, even the least experienced cooks can make it. What’s even better is you don’t need any specialist equipment, like an ice cream maker.

Taken from the BBC Good Food website, where it was described as a "pudding so simple, you almost feel you've cheated", Mary’s recipe serves between 6 and 8 people and takes 20 - 30 minutes to prepare, plus 2 and a half hours chilling and overnight freezing. It can also be used as an alternative pudding at Christmas, or anytime in the year.

Here are the Ingredients you’ll need:

284ml carton double cream

500g carton good-quality ready made custard

100g golden caster sugar

100ml / 3½ fl oz dark rum, plus 1 tbsp extra

170g packet dried berries and cherries (or same weight mix of dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries and raisins)

Ice cream is perfect for a quick desert and to cool off
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Here’s how to make Mary Berry’s simple berry ice cream:

Softly whip the cream in a large bowl, stir in the custard and pop it in the freezer for about an hour and a half, until it starts to freeze around the edges. Then put the sugar in a pan with 100ml / 3½ fl oz of the rum and heat slowly until the sugar dissolves. Add the fruit and simmer for around a minute, until it plumps up. Pour the whole mixture into a large bowl so it cools right down (should take about an hour) and add the extra tablespoon of rum.

Next stir the cream and custard with a balloon whisk and add mix in the cooled fruit. Pour the whole mixture into a 1.2 litre / 2 pint pudding basin or container. Cover and freeze overnight until it’s firm. If you aren’t using the next day, it can be stored for up to a month.

When serving, dip the basin quickly into boiling water and go round the edges with a round blade knife and turn out onto a serving plate. Or scoop out of container as and when you fancy a delicious cooling desert or afternoon treat.