What is a sign of a great cookbook? To me, a great cookbook has a worn-out binding, a frayed cover and food-stained pages. That indicates that the cookbook is in use, rather than one that is just admired. On my shelf no book is more worn-out than this one: Frozen Desserts. I have owned it for over ten years and have used it extensively at every job I have had. The recipes are reliable and tasty and even work well in a commercial ice cream maker. I bought some plums to make ice cream the other day and turned to this book for guidance. I’ve used their recipe for plum ice cream on my dessert menus before. It calls for rosé wine, but I usually substitute with plum wine. This time I replaced it with créme de cassis. It ended up giving it a richer flavor as well as a much deeper color. Make sure to use dark-skinned plums for the best color.

Plum Cassis Ice Cream (makes 1 quart)

1 pound black plums
1/2 cup créme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar

Wash the plums, remove the pits, then slice each into eight pieces. Place in a small pot with the créme de cassis. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the plums are soft - about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Bring the cream just to a boil. Whisk the yolks and sugar together in a bowl, then slowly pour in the hot cream while continuing to whisk. Add the cooked plums. Purée both together until completely smooth. Chill completely before processing through your ice cream maker.