cream containers used to entertain his guests.
“Remember, freezers had not been invented yet, so to make ice-cream, “Remember, freezers had not been invented yet, so to make ice cream, large quantities of snow and ice were brought over from Sicily! Salt had to be added to lower its temperature and prepare ice-cream or sorbet”
For the Maltese, particularly the nobility, indulging in ice cream provided a welcome reprieve from the relentless summer heat. According to food historian Noel Buttigieg, there are 17th- and 18th-century references to foreigners who were impressed with the common consumption of cold drinks and ice cream. Roland de la Platiere, in 1776, attested to the year-round enjoyment of ice in Malta.
made of metal, the cylindrical vessel was nestled into a wooden bucket containing a mixture of ice and salt, with the ice cream mix then poured inside the sorbetiere.
• Combine together one litre of milk, 200g sugar, 12 egg yolks and 120g biscuit crumbs.
• Vigorously whisk the mixture until all components dissolve.
• Simmer gently over low heat until the mixture slightly thickens, then remove from heat and infuse with one tablespoon of rose water.
• Allow to cool and place in freezer. Mix from time to time to avoid it turning into one solid block. It takes almost a full day to nish the process.
Ice cream à la Michele Mercieca (1748) During an inspection of the Order’s naval fleet, Grandmaster Manuel Pinto da Fonseca refreshed himself by eating an ice-cream Ice or snow bucket Sorbetiere