Celebrity square meals: Sandra Howard's Easy ice-cream

I love this recipe for three reasons. First, it has never failed me. Second, it's so simple - it doesn't require any stirring or the use of any complicated kitchen equipment. And third and most importantly, my family have always loved it. I used to make it all the time when the children were younger, but I still make it occasionally these days. It's an enduring favourite. It tastes delicious on its own, but it's also very good with added ingredients - choose between chocolate flakes or squashed raspberries (popular with children), or, for the grown-ups, Cointreau or a mixture of crème de menthe and chopped mint. Or you could invent your own.

3 eggs, separated
^3/4 pint of whipping cream
3oz sugar

Take three large bowls. Put the cream into one, the egg whites into another, and the egg yolks and 2oz of the sugar into the third.

First, whisk up the yolks and sugar until they are creamy, pale and foamy. If you're adding any flavourings, add them now into the yolk bowl. Next whip the cream until it's thick. Then whip the egg whites until they form peaks. Into the bowl of egg whites, gradually add the last ounce of sugar towards the end of the whipping time. Combine all three, by putting the cream into the egg yolk and then fold in the egg white into the mixture. Finally, place in a plastic tub and freeze for two or three hours, or until the ice cream is hard. E

Sandra Howard's first novel, 'Glass Houses', is published in hardback by Simon & Schuster, £10