At a glance
This poppy seed ice cream comes together in about five hours, with just 10 minutes of hands-on prep and a brief stovetop moment. You'll be infusing cream with poppy seeds, tempering egg yolks into a custard, then either churning it in an ice cream maker or stirring it by hand every 20 minutes—the manual route takes more patience but absolutely works. Serving it alongside warm apple pie or plum crumble is where the magic really happens.
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Simmer the cream with poppy seeds
Pour the cream into a saucepan and stir in the poppy seeds. Place over heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as it starts to boil, remove from the heat right away.
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Whisk the egg yolks with sugar
Whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar. It takes about five minutes to get a light, pale yellow mixture. Gradually whisk in the hot poppy seed cream, straight off the stove. Mix until you have a smooth custard, then leave it to cool.
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Tip: using an ice cream maker
If you have an ice cream maker, pour the poppy seed mixture into it and let it churn and freeze until it reaches that perfect creamy consistency.