This no churn ice cream with candied fruit—known as Glace Plombières—comes with a scoop of history. In 1858, while Napoleon III and Count Cavour secretly negotiated the Treaty of Plombières, a local chef whipped up this custardy creation. It’s been a French classic ever since.
French Ice Cream in Paris - Plombières Flavour
I'd first promised the children a taste of the best French ice creams in Paris during summer. But, if you're in Paris in August, be prepared.
Many businesses take off as soon as they can. Even the Parisian institutions, like Berthillon's flagship boutique on Île Saint-Louis. It's an ice cream shop so famous that, come August - finally in the sweltering heat of the City of Light - their doors usually close. Shut. Fermé - on holidays, en vacances, like most of Paris! Luckily, their ice creams and sorbets are usually served by their more commercial neighbours.
One of Berthillon's ice creams is Plombières ice cream, packed with candied fruits. If you haven't tried it yet, I urge you to taste it. It's not overly sweet as this recipe is careful on the sugar quantity and it's easy to make your own without a machine.
Where to Find the Best Candied Fruits in France
As my lucky French parents-in-law live in the Luberon near Apt, the world capital of candied - or glacé - fruits, I often visit the famous local candied fruit factory. Candied (crystallised) orange peel strips, lemon peel cubes, glacé cherries all come in large kilo tubs!
They're all good in this ice cream, including my favourite, candied ginger.
You'll also find candied fruits in a traditional Brioche des Rois, a variation of the Galette des Rois, served in France around Epiphany.
So this is also a great excuse to use these tubs of candied fruits, making a no-churn ice cream. Bonjour glace Plombières!
For more on candied fruits, see my guides to both
clementine oranges and cherries.
Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine
This recipe is adapted from my favourite French coffee-table cookbook, France: the Beautiful Cookbook by Gilles Pudlowski with recipes from the Scotto sisters.
- Great egg yolk recipe! As we love to make egg white recipes, the 10 egg yolks means plenty leftover whites to make macarons. Just keep them in a jam jar in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze them for later.
- This recipe doesn't need an ice cream maker - it's no churn made with heavy or whipped cream.
- Although made with sweet, candied fruits, it's not too sweet, made without condensed milk.
So I 'ad-Apt-ed' it (pun groan), making individual portions for dessert rather than one giant ice cream. This will make a light, fruity, stress-free dessert - and even a handy dessert recipe to have on your holiday menu.
Plombières Ice Cream History
In 1858 Napoleon III met Count Cavour (Prime Minister of Sardinia) at Plombières-les-Bains in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France. As they were secretly negotiating the Treaty of Plombières, the local chef came up this dessert and it has been a local speciality ever since.
As we're using ten egg yolks, use the leftover whites to make these egg white recipes, such as French chocolate mousse.
How to Serve Glace Plombières
The original recipe suggests serving Plombières ice cream with warmed apricot jam. Although delicious with this apricot jam with lavender, it's rather a lot of sugar overload, even if the jam is reduced in sugar!
So, for something less sweet, I recommend serving with fresh mango sauce. Also perfectly paired with baked apricots. To use some of the whites, make Tuiles, French almond cookies - they're perfect together!
No-Churn Ice Cream with Candied Fruit (Glace Plombières)
Equipment
- muffin or dariole moulds even easier if silicone
Ingredients
- 200 g (7oz/ 1½ cups) mix of candied fruits, roughly chopped
- 55 ml (2oz/¼ cup) Kirsch liqueur
- 1.5 l (48 fl oz/ 6 cups) whipping or heavy cream
- 250 ml (8 fl oz/ 1 cup) whole milk
- 10 egg yolks fresh, organic
- 200 g (7oz/1 cup) sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Soak the candied fruits in the Kirsch for about 2 hours. Place a bowl in the fridge in preparation for whipping the cream.
- In a large saucepan off the heat, weigh the sugar and whisk together with the egg yolks until pale and creamy. Over a moderate heat, gradually whisk in 1 litre of the cream and the milk. Whisk constantly until the custard coats the spoon.
- Remove from the heat, add the almond extract and candied fruits with the Kirsch. Leave to cool, stirring from time to time.
- When the custard is completely cooled, whip the remaining 500ml of cream in the chilled bowl until it forms soft peaks.
- Fold into the custard then pour into silicone, dariole or muffin moulds. (Here, I used 12 briochette muffin moulds.) Freeze until firm.
- When ready to serve, turn out the ice creams directly on to dessert plates.
Notes
Love egg yolk custard desserts, naturally gluten free? My e-book is now out!
Master Crème Caramel: Secrets to Lighter French Custard Desserts from Paris
This post was first published 2nd October 2012 but is now completely updated.
5 Star Foodie
How delicious! I love the individual portions - very pretty!
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
Fantastic! I love the shape and the flavors you chose..
Lisa @ tartedujour.com
Jill - what a perfect way to put your candied fruit to good use! I adore the molded ice cream, it makes it look more special than a plain scoop. I'm sure your kids were delighted!!
Vicki Bensinger
This looks beautiful and a lovely dessert for the holidays. What a great idea using the silicone molds for the ice cream. I need to remember that. Great idea. Have a great weekend!
Jill
Vicki, it's also a good way to deal with left-overs and handy to have some spare in the freezer!
parisbreakfast
Gorgeous looking (and tasting no doubt) dessert!
Yr so inventive Jill
I wonder if that Apt place was around in 2005 when I was briefly there painting?
They can not be a French company since they have to link to their l'heritage/histoire can they?
Kerry...Scots?
Jill
Thank you. It is good but I didn't invent it but the inn-keeper in Plombières-les-bains did. Yes, that factory would be around then. They've been there as long as I can remember in my 20 yrs here, although they changed the name from Apt Union to Kerry. Scots? Will need to check that one.
June S
Love the blog. Makes me want to visit Apt again. Happy memories of the market and factory shop. Candied fruits from Apt are now appearing in the posh shops for Christmas so no excuse to try out the recipe.
Jill
Thanks! Good to know they're chic for Christmas! Let me know if you try it. It's a handy, fruity dessert to have in winter using your supplies from the pantry.
Jerome in Glasgow
Berthillon shut in August.
I've never found the right expression in English to express this.... or is it just that it's only in France that you find businesses qui ne sont pas très commerçant....? 😉
Jill
Agree with you, Jerome. Incroyable! Surely they should take their annual hols in January and create holiday jobs for students wanting to work in Paris over the summer?
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Such a beautiful and elegant dessert! I have never had a candied fruit ice cream in my life...see what I have been missing out!
Enjoy your weekend!
Angie
Jill
Well, Angie, I do hope you try this. You won't be disappointed.
Sandra's Easy Cooking
It was rainy and cool here last week, but I would eat your ice cream even on a cold day! Looks stunning and very tasty with of course macarons.
Jill
Thanks Sandra, this is an ideal ice cream for a rainy day. I personally love it as a fruity winter dessert with the candied fruits and warmed sauce.
Jean-Pierre
It's a while since I've been to Apt. Love their candied fruit - another quality altogether. You've just given me an idea for next summer, Jill. Need to pop in to the factory. Love glace plombières, btw. Long time since I've had that too, since you don't see it much these days so thanks for the recipe.
Jill
Jean-Pierre,
Their fruit is great, isn't it? I forgot to mention that in the factory shop, they have samples! It's so difficult to just pop in for a few minutes, since there are so many fruits to try: melons, pears, plums etc...
Lora
Ohh that looks diviiiine!
Nami | Just One Cookbook
The past weekend and this week has been really hot again, like summer! Reading your ice cream story and delicious ice cream shot only made me go to freezer and grab a bowl of ice cream. I'm eating while I type. 🙂 Not as fancy as yours, but I'm eating vanilla bean... Candied fruit in ice cream sounds so good! I'm missing macarons to pair with! 😉
Jill
Oh you lucky Californian girl, Nami! Here in Paris it's not cold yet but the rain clouds are hovering. I can eat ice cream at any time of year, though. Vanilla bean ice cream if it's not too sweet is simply the best.
Cupcake Crusher
I've heard about Berthillon ice creams - must try them next time I'm in Paris. I'm a huge fan of ice creams and especially this one that doesn't require an ice cream maker. Your children are really lucky to have a mum that makes macarons AND get to go to St - Louis! Wish I could be in their place for a day (or two)...
Jill
Well next time you're in Paris, let me know!
Liz
Mmmmm...perfect pairing, Jill! We checked out ALL the ice cream spots on Ile St-Louis...but we stuck with vanilla and chocolate. Such dull Americans 😉
Jill
Far from it, Liz. I didn't tell you that my kids went for chocolate and passion fruit sorbet (à la Pierre Hermé pairing.) Nothing to beat vanilla and chocolate classics!