Date Pan Cake with Ice-Cream

Serves 8

350g fresh Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped

300ml milk

600ml double cream

1 vanilla pod, split  and scraped

7 egg yolks

Place the dates, milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Remove the pan from the heat, and purée the mixture with a stick blender. Stir slowly and add the egg yolks, still stirring. Return the pan to the stove and stir over a low heat for about five minutes, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let it boil.

Pour the mixture into a container to cool. If you have an ice-cream maker, it can go straight in. Alternatively, put it in the freezer for two hours then stir. Repeat this twice more.