Helado de almendra

En un parque soleado, Marta disfrutaba de un helado de almendra mientras observaba pasar una bicicleta roja que chirriaba con un violín desafinado. De repente, apareció un señor demasiado grande para aquel banco diminuto, que intentó sentarse sin éxito y terminó aplastando una flor con su enorme pie.—¡Perdón, perdón! —dijo el señor, apenado, mientras buscaba un lugar donde no estorbar. Al lado del banco, un portal pequeño apareció de la nada, justo lo suficientemente grande para que el señor pudiera entrar y desaparecer. Marta se quedó mirando, helado en mano, pensando que ese día el parque no solo tenía helados de almendra, sino también magia en miniatura y gente demasiado grande para ella.

[English below]

El postre de los domingos de mis veranos infantiles eran de helado, helado de almendra que mi madre elaboraba a base de un preparado mallorquín de azúcar y almendra, o avellana. El postre de los domingos de mis inviernos eran flan. En la adolescencia se perdió todo y la nostalgia lo ha traído de nuevo, en este caso casero.

· HELADO DE ALMENDRA ·

Ingredientes

1 litro de leche (congelada en cubitos)

180 g almendras o harina de almendras
250 g azúcar
La piel de 1 limón
1 cdta. de canela

Elaboración

Poner todos los ingredientes en la thermomix, menos la leche en cubitos. Picar 20 seg velocidad progresiva 5-10. Ir añadiendo los cubitos poco a poco 1 minuto y medio velocidad 5-10. Hasta que se forme una crema espesa. Guardar en el congelador. Sacar del congelador un tiempo antes de consumirlo.

Nota: si no tienes Thermomix hazlo con la túrmix o con un procesador de alimentos.

I always liked living near the sea, waking up to the sound of the waves, the breeze coming through the window and listening to the seagulls looking for food. That was my favourite place in the world, well, that and my grandmother's country house, but mum worked a lot in the summer and we only visited when we could, and that was usually when the almond trees had borne fruit and we went there to help pick them.

That almond, afterwards, once peeled, grandma used it to make tambó d'ametlla, in winter and almond ice cream in summer, mmmmm! that was my reward for all the work I did when I picked the almond from the trees, and yes, I enjoyed it like never before.

If there were any almonds left over, mum would bring them home and make me ice cream when it was hot, with a squeeze of lemon and some chocolate biscuits, sometimes wafers too, mmmmm! my favourite time. When I grew up, there were no more almond trees in the countryside, the countryside had become a housing estate, and the house by the sea was gone.

Now I walk near the sea remembering, nostalgia, they say, yes, nostalgia, I say too, but the good kind, the kind that doesn't weigh on my heart, and the kind that leaves me with a smile, the kind I return to when I visit my favourite place in the world, the kind I feel when my hair sways in the breeze and leaves me with a smile on my face.

The Sunday dessert of my childhood summers was ice cream, almond ice cream that my mother made from a Mallorcan preparation of sugar and almond, or hazelnut. The Sunday dessert of my winters was flan. In adolescence all was lost and nostalgia has brought it back, in this case homemade.

·ALMOND ICE CREAM ·

Ingredients

1 litre of milk (frozen in cubes)

180 g almonds or almond flour

250 g sugar

The peel of 1 lemon

1 tsp. cinnamon

Method

Put all the ingredients in the thermomix, except the cubes milk. Blend for 20 sec. on speed 5-10. Add the cubes little by little 1 minute and a half on speed 5-10. Until a thick cream is formed. Store in the freezer. Remove from the freezer for a while before use.

Note: if you don't have a Thermomix, use a blender or food processor.