Candy cane and ice cream cake
I love Christmas lights.
They bring back a tiny sliver of childish excitement each time I pass a house that has them twinkling in the pre-Christmas rush. It reminds me of when my son was little and we’d drive for miles looking for the houses with the best lights. When he was very young, we’d have dinner and I’d dress him in his Jarmies and a light jacket and off we’d go. It’s light till quite late pre- Christmas in Australia, so he would almost always be very sleepy by the time we headed home.It was gorgeous to see his little face looking up at those lights in absolute delight.
ice cream cake without an ice cream machine
Summer and Christmas in Australia means that we need to eat things that are easy and cool. They need to not only impress all the Christmas visitors we have around this time of year but can also be made a head. I don’t have an ice cream machine, so I have had to work out ways to make lovely ice cream desserts with out one. This dessert is as simple as it gets. The ice cream has 3 ingredients and is made in a matter of minutes. You are going to love it.
Chocolate and vanilla cake
Tonight I drove Skater to the station, he was on his way to a Christmas party. As we drove down our dark street illuminated only by the flashing lights up and down the street and the new moon and we both agreed we just love them.
Christmas Lights
- Oven 170
- 1 cup Self raising flour (or gluten free flour)
- 4 Tablespoons cocoa ( dark Dutch cocoa)
- ? cup of caster sugar
- 150 gm melted butter ( 5.4oz)
- 100 gm biscuits ( Marie, granita, or any sweet plain biscuit will do(3.5oz)-or rice cookies
- 1 tin of condensed milk (300 ml – 10 fl oz)
- 600 ml (thickened or pure) cream ( 20oz)
- ½ vanilla bean
- 150 ml cream (5oz)
- 100 gm dark chocolate (70% is perfect)(3.5oz)
- For the base, put the all the dry ingredients into a food processor and combine till fine. Add the melted butter.
- Press this into the base of the cake tin. For a thinner base don’t use all of the base. Bake this for 15 minutes or until it looks a little bit puffy.Cool in the fridge.
- To make the ice cream, put the condensed milk, vanilla and cream into the bowl of a mixer and beat till thick and fluffy. The mixture will hold peaks.
- Pour the cream into the cake tin and freeze over night or until you are ready.
- To glaze, heat the cream till hot, cool a little then add the well chopped chocolate and stir till dissolved.
- Run a knife around the cake and de-mould. Pour the chocolate glaze over the ice cream cake and spread with a smooth pallet knife. Let it set a little before quickly decorating. You can refreeze the cake with the glaze if you prefer.
- Decorate with strawberries, raspberries or chocolate lollies what ever you like
Finishing off the top
- Christmas Ice cream Cake
Why not try these party recipes as well:
Little Party Lamingtons with Raspberry Dipping Sauce
Strawberry Meringues with Vanilla Semi freddo
Fruit Mince Crumble Slice
