Rocky road hedgehog

 

   Ingredients

  200g dark chocolate, chopped
    125g unsalted butter, chopped
    1/3 cup icing sugar mixture
    1 egg, lightly beaten
    250g packet Arnott’s Butternut Snap Cookies, broken into pieces
    1/2 cup mini marshmallows
    100g red glace cherries, halved
    1/4 cup shredded coconut

 
   Method

Grease a 7cm-deep, 19cm (base) square pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.
    

    Place chocolate, butter and icing sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
    

    Add egg to chocolate mixture. Stir to combine. Stir in cookies, marshmallows, cherries and coconut. Spoon into prepared pan. Using the back of a fork, press mixture into pan. Cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Cut in half. Cut each half into 10 fingers. Serve.

 

Little chocolate ice-cream balls

Ingredients

  70g (1/2 cup) cornflour
    1 x 2L ctn vanilla ice-cream
    200g Nestle white chocolate melts
    90g (1/3 cup) hundreds and thousands

Method

Fill a small jug with hot water. Place the cornflour in a bowl. Dip a melon baller in the hot water and use a tea towel to quickly dry. Use the melon baller to scoop out a ball of ice-cream. Place the ball in the cornflour and toss to coat. Use your hands to quickly roll the ball until smooth. Place the ball on a baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Repeat with the remaining cornflour and ice-cream to make 20 balls. Freeze for 2 hours or until firm.

    Place the chocolate melts in a small heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Heat, uncovered, on Medium/500watts/50% for 1 minute. Use a clean, dry metal spoon to stir the chocolate. Heat, uncovered, on Medium/500watts/50% for a further 1 minute or until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

    Use a fork to dip 1 ice-cream ball into the melted chocolate to evenly coat. Place on a clean baking tray and sprinkle with hundreds and thousands. Repeat with the remaining ice-cream balls, melted chocolate and hundreds and thousands. Place in an airtight container in the freezer for 30 minutes or until firm.

 

Double-strawberry sauce with ice-cream

    Ingredients

250g strawberries, hulled, plus 125g extra, hulled, quartered
    1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
    1 cup (120g) dried strawberries
    Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Method

Place the fresh strawberries, sugar and 1 cup (250ml) water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, without stirring, for 10 minutes or until the strawberries are soft.

    Using a stick blender, blend the mixture until smooth. Add the dried strawberries and cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes or until softened slightly. Remove from heat, set aside in the pan for 10 minutes to cool, then stir in the extra strawberries. Serve warm or cold as a topping for vanilla ice cream.

 

Banana split

  Ingredients

1 banana, peeled, cut lengthways
    2 scoops vanilla ice-cream
    3 pecans, chopped
    100g dark chocolate, broken into squares
    1/4 cup thickened cream
    1 tablespoon Kahlua, optional

Method

To make chocolate sauce: Place chocolate and cream in a microwavesafe jug. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) power for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon or until smooth. Stir in Kahlua, if desired.
    

    Place banana slices on a plate. Top with scoops of ice-cream.
    

    Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve.

 

Fruit kebabs with chocolate dipping sauce

    Ingredients

    Small pieces of pear, banana, strawberry and orange
    300ml pouring cream
    1 teaspoon grated orange rind
    1 tablespoon orange juice
    250g block milk chocolate broken into squares

    Method

Thread small pieces of pear, banana, strawberry and orange on to mini bamboo skewers.

    In a small saucepan, combine pouring cream, orange rind and orange juice. Bring just to the boil, then add milk chocolate broken into squares. Remove pan from heat, stand for a few minutes until chocolate is melted, then stir until smooth. Pour the warm sauce into a bowl. Serve immediately.

 

Choc mint ice-cream

    Ingredients

1/2 cup thickened cream
    2 teaspoons peppermint essence
    green food colouring
    2 litres choc-chip ice-cream, softened (see note)
    200g packet Mint Slice biscuits, chopped

Method

Combine cream and peppermint in a jug. Tint green with food colouring. Add to softened ice-cream. Stir to combine. Fold biscuit through ice-cream mixture. Spoon into tub (see note). Smooth surface. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals forming. Freeze overnight or until firm. Remove ice-cream from the freezer 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

Lychee, mango & coconut terrine

Ingredients

  24 lychees, peeled, seeded
    1L Weis’ Mango Sorbet, softened slightly
    270ml can light coconut cream
    40g pkt roasted coconut chips
    Lime rind, to serve

Method

Line the base and sides of a 20 x 10cm (base measurement) loaf pan with non-stick baking paper, allowing the 2 long sides to overhang.

    Chop half the lychees. Combine sorbet, chopped lychees and coconut cream in a bowl. Transfer to prepared pan and smooth the surface. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours or overnight until firm.

    Turn terrine onto a serving platter. Top with remaining lychees, coconut chips and lime rind.

 

Choc cookie sandwiches with toffee sauce

  Ingredients

    80ml (1/3 cup) Aunt Betty’s Sensations Real Toffee Dessert Sauce
    1 x 240g pkt chocolate chip Cookies
    750ml (3 cups) vanilla ice-cream
    1 x 30g bar Cadbury Flake, coarsely chopped

Method

Warm the toffee sauce following packet directions.
    

    Divide half the cookies among serving plates. Top with half the ice-cream.
    

    Place the remaining cookies on top and press gently to sandwich together. Press a scoop of ice-cream on top of each cookie sandwich.

    Drizzle over the toffee sauce and sprinkle with Flake. Serve immediately.

 

Berry banana split

Ingredients

2 cups frozen raspberries
    1/4 cup caster sugar
    1/3 cup white choc bits
    35g tube mini M&Ms
    1/3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
    1/3 cup rainbow mini marshmallows (see note)
    8 large bananas, halved lengthways
    16 scoops low-fat strawberry frozen yoghurt

    Method

  Combine raspberries, sugar and 2 tablespoons cold water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes. Cool.
   
    Place choc bits, M&Ms, peanuts and marshmallows in separate bowls.
   

    Place 2 pieces of banana in each serving dish. Top with frozen yoghurt, raspberry mixture and toppings. Serve.