Forget the calories! Christmas is the time to celebrate and what better way on a hot day than an ice cool cassata. This recipe is tried and true.
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped mixed glace fruit
2 tblspns brandy
300ml carton cream
2 tspns castor sugar
125g dark chocolate
15g butter
2 litre carton vanilla ice cream
1 tspn vanilla
2 tspns cocoa
50g slivered almonds
50g coconut biscuits
300ml carton cream (extra)
Line base of 20cm springform pan with aluminium foil. combine glace fruit and brandy, mix well. Let stand 10 minutes. Whip cream and sugar until thick, fold in fruit and brandy. Spread cream mixture over base of springform pan, freeze. Put chopped chocolate and butter in top of double saucepan, stir over gently-simmering water until melted: cool. Combined half the softened ice-cream and vanilla. Add approximately half a cup of this ice-cream to melted chocolate mixture, mix well. Add chocolate mixture to ice-cream, mix well. The melted chocolate gives the ice-cream a ‘chocolate chip’ texture. Stir in sifted cocoa, mix well. Spread chocolate ice cream over cream layer; freeze. Spread remaining half-softened ice-cream over chocolate layer. Place almonds in moderate oven for 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Crush coconut biscuits lightly. Sprinkle combined biscuit crumbs and almonds over top of cassata. Press crumbs and almonds lightly into ice cream, freeze until firm. Decorate the top with extra whipped cream.
