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For a cool twist on the classic Christmas pudding, make this chocolate-cherry ice cream bombe. Start this recipe a day ahead to allow time for the ice cream to set.
Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 1 hour plus 12 hours freezing time
2 litres good-quality vanilla ice cream
50g almonds, toasted and chopped
1 pack ready-made caramel Swiss rolls
2 tbs cherry jam
6 tbs hazelnut chocolate spread
100g glacé cherries, chopped
½ tin black cherries, chopped, plus ½ cup cherry juice
180g dark chocolate, broken into pieces Maraschino cherries, to decorate
1) Line a large round bowl or 2 smaller bowls with 3 layers of plastic wrap.
2) Allow a quarter of the ice cream to soften slightly. Stir in the toasted almonds and spoon into the lined bowl. Cover with a layer of sliced Swiss roll. Sprinkle with half the cherry juice and spoon some jam onto the cake. Place in the freezer until firm.
3) Allow another quarter of the ice cream to soften slightly. Mix the chocolate spread into it and spoon onto the frozen layer. Cover with another layer of cake, sprinkle with the remaining cherry juice and cover with the remaining jam. Return to the freezer and freeze until firm.
4) Allow the remaining ice cream to soften slightly. Add the glacé cherries and black cherries to the ice cream. Spoon onto the cake and then freeze overnight.
5) To serve, melt the chocolate and leave to cool. Remove the ice-cream bombe from the freezer and turn it out onto a platter. Remove the plastic wrap. Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the bombe, or slice and serve each portion with a drizzle of melted chocolate, then decorate with maraschino cherries.
Christmas menu
Starters
Prawn & asparagus salad with coconut dressing
Chicken liver paté with sweet & sour grapes
Mains
Rolled turkey breast with apricots and cashews
Ricotta & herb roast chicken with fig glaze
Festive side dishes
Desserts