Delia Smith Cinnamon Ice Cream

Delia Smith’s cinnamon ice cream is a rich egg custard infused with a whole cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon, chilled overnight, then folded with whipped cream. It serves 6, needs no ice cream maker, and pairs with Christmas puddings and strudels.

Smith created this for Delia Smith’s Christmas as a companion to her mincemeat desserts. She uses two forms of cinnamon: a stick simmered in the milk for background warmth, plus ground cinnamon for a stronger spice hit. That double layer gives the ice cream a depth that ground cinnamon alone can’t reach.

Custard powder is the quiet trick here. It stabilises the egg custard so it won’t split, even if you overheat it slightly. Smith says if it does separate, just keep whisking and it smooths out.

Delia Smith Cinnamon Ice Cream

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

400

kcal

Total time

6

hours 

20

minutes

A Christmas ice cream from Delia Smith’s Christmas, designed to accompany mincemeat tarts and apple strudel. The custard base chills overnight before the cream is folded in and the mixture is frozen.

Ingredients

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 6 large egg yolks

• 110g (4 oz) caster sugar

• 2 slightly rounded teaspoons custard powder

• 570ml (1 pint) milk

• 275ml (10 fl oz) double cream

Directions

• Make the custard base: Place the egg yolks, sugar and custard powder in a bowl. Whisk with an electric hand whisk until pale and thickened.
• Infuse the cinnamon: Put the milk, cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring just to simmering point, then pour on to the egg mixture, whisking all the while.
• Thicken: Return the custard to the saucepan and continue whisking over a gentle heat until thickened. Pour into a bowl.
• Chill overnight: When cool, cover the surface directly with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
• Add the cream: Next day, whip the cream to the soft, floppy stage. Discard the cinnamon stick, then fold the cream into the custard.
• Freeze: Churn in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes until soft and velvety. Or pour into a freezer box (23 x 15cm), cover and freeze, remixing with a fork every 30 minutes until set.
• Serve: Remove to the main fridge for 20 minutes before serving to soften.

Notes

• Smith says the custard powder acts as “an excellent stabiliser.” If the custard separates during cooking, pour it into a bowl and keep whisking: it will become smooth again.
• Eat within 3 weeks of making.
• Smith recommends this alongside her Lattice Mincemeat Dessert Tart or Apple, Mincemeat and Nut Strudel.

FAQs

Why does Smith use both a cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon?

A cinnamon stick infused in hot milk gives a gentle, warm background note. Ground cinnamon adds a stronger, more direct spice flavour that sits on the tongue. Using both means you get layers of cinnamon rather than a single flat hit.

The stick simmers in the custard and stays in overnight during chilling, so it has hours to release its oils slowly. The ground cinnamon does its work immediately. Smith discards the stick the next day, but its flavour has already soaked into the base.

What does the custard powder do?

Custard powder is mainly cornflour with a small amount of colour and flavouring. In this recipe, it acts as a safety net for the egg custard. The starch molecules absorb liquid and thicken the base, which means the eggs are less likely to curdle if the heat is slightly too high.

Smith is reassuring about this: she says if the custard does separate, just keep whisking and it’ll smooth out. That confidence comes from the custard powder holding the mixture together even when things go slightly wrong.

Can I make this without an ice cream maker?

Smith gives clear instructions for both methods. Without a machine, pour the mixture into a freezer box and remix with a fork every 30 minutes until it reaches the right consistency. The fork breaks up ice crystals the same way churning does, just more slowly.

It takes longer than a machine: roughly 3 to 4 hours of periodic mixing versus 20 minutes of churning. The texture is slightly less smooth, but the cinnamon flavour is identical. Her blackcurrant ice cream uses a similar still-freeze method with a single beat at the halfway point.

Why does the custard need to chill overnight?

The overnight rest does two things. First, it cools the custard completely, which is essential because folding warm custard into whipped cream would melt the cream and ruin the texture. Second, it gives the cinnamon stick more time to infuse.

A few hours of chilling would technically be enough for temperature, but the overnight infusion makes a noticeable difference in flavour. The cinnamon deepens and rounds out, losing any raw, powdery edge. Smith builds that time into the method deliberately.

What should I serve this with?

Smith designed this for Christmas, so her first suggestions are her Lattice Mincemeat Dessert Tart and Apple, Mincemeat and Nut Strudel. The warm spice of cinnamon works well with dried fruit and pastry, which is why it’s such a natural Christmas pairing.

Outside December, it’s just as good with baked apple, poached pears or a simple fruit crumble. The blueberry crumble ice cream uses cinnamon in its crumble component too, so if you like cinnamon with fruit, both recipes are worth trying side by side.

How long does this keep in the freezer?

Smith says to eat it within 3 weeks. After that, ice crystals build up even in a well-sealed box, and the texture becomes grainy rather than smooth. The cinnamon flavour also fades over time because the volatile oils in the spice break down at freezer temperature.

Before serving, move it to the main fridge for 20 minutes. That’s shorter than most ice creams because the high egg and cream content means it softens quickly. Don’t leave it longer or it will become too soft to scoop cleanly.