A delicious ending to a hot-climate Christmas dinner
Christmas here in Australia is usually hot and sunny. The traditional hot plum pudding with brandy butter can feel a bit out of place. I have always thought it would be fabulous to end the dinner with something cold, but it had to feel traditional or there would have been protests from my family. So I devised this ice cream which has all the flavours and many of the ingredients of a traditional Christmas pudding. It met with enthusiastic approval from everyone.
It's also a little lighter than traditional ice cream. By whipping the cream the texture of the dessert is more like a semifreddo.
- Ingredients
- 60 gr currants
- 60 gr golden raisins
- 60 gr sultanas
- 60 gr slivered almonds
- 60 gr hazelnuts, without skin
- juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves
- 2 table spoon of pure unsweetened cocoa powder
- 900 ml pure cream
in a bowl put all the dried fruit with the lemon and orange juice and let it stand over night
gently roast the hazelnuts and almond slivers and add them to the dried fruit mixture with the spices and cocoa powder
beat the cream until stiff
fold the fruit and nut mixture through the whipped cream
pour into a bowl and freeze for at least 4 hours
unfold ice cream on to a serving plate and with a sharp knife cut it into slices and serve
merry Christmas to you all XXX
