Cucumber Cream Ice

Victorian dessert tables invariably included ices. There were three main types: cream ice (ice cream), water ice (modern-day sorbet) and sorbet (water ice with the addition of quite a lot of liqueur or hard spirits). They were often served in elaborate moulds, with water ice in particular lending itself to very intricate designs. Much use was made of food colouring to achieve a really spectacular result. After all, the main meal was over: dessert was intended as a digestive aid, not a belly