Sakura ice cream with monaka

To make the ice cream, begin by making a cherry blossom syrup. Place the sugar, water and briefly rinsed cherry blossom in a pan and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve the sugar then take off the heat and leave to steep for 15 minutes

When it has finished steeping, add the double cream to the mixture and slowly bring it to a boil

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla seeds and sugar until thick and pale

Once the liquid has boiled, slowly pour it over the egg mixture whilst constantly whisking. Return the mixture to the pan and cook to 81ºC whilst continuously stirring. Once it reaches the correct temperature, immediately take it off the heat and cool over an ice bath. Once completely cooled, churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, then reserve in the freezer until needed

To make the anko, place the adzuki beans in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Drain, recover with fresh water and bring to a boil again. Once the water is boiling, turn down to a simmer and cook for around 45 minutes

Test if they are done by squashing a bean between your fingers – it should give with little resistance. If the beans are still too firm then continue to simmer (older beans can take up to 1.5–2 hours to cook). Once they're ready, drain and add back to the pan without water. Place the pan over a medium-low heat, add half the sugar and stir until you can't see the individual grains anymore, then add the rest of the sugar and continue to stir until the beans break down into a paste

Add the salt and cook the paste a little more until it thickens. Pass through a ricer or a fine sieve to make a smooth paste, then leave to cool

To serve, fill the monaka shells with a spoonful of the anko and serve with a bowl of the ice cream on the side