michelle picker cooks

Feijoa (pineapple guava) is a flowering member of the myrtle family native to the highlands of South America and can grow up to 7 metres (23 ft) tall. The fruit, which ripens in Autumn, is green and egg-shaped with a pear-like gritty texture. The flavour has been described as being similar to guava or quince and reminiscent of strawberries and pineapple. In New Zealand, where their popularity is unequalled, they appear in a multitude of foods, including ice cream.

Scoop out the centre of ripe feijoas until you have more than 2 cups of pulp. Wash and trim an extra 2 feijoas and roughly cut them into pieces. Now purée the pulp and whole feijoas in a blender or food processor until you have a fine consistency. Strain the pulp into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook until the pulp is reduce by a quarter. Add 1 cup of milk, 1¼ cups of cream, ⅔ of a cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of corn syrup or glucose and 1 tablespoon of honey. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. Cool the mixture in an ice bath. When cool, use a high speed blender to combine the mixture with 3 tablespoons of softened cream cheese and ⅛ of a teaspoon each of fine sea salt, guar gum (optional) and xanthan gum (optional). Blend until very smooth and refrigerate, preferably overnight, before churning. After churning, freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.