Rum, Caramel and Meringue Semifreddo

I love ice-cream. I like it soft and a little melty and any flavour will usually suffice. Maybe it's this hot humid weather that we experience this time of year in the north but I have been indulging in ice cream more than usual lately. I have a great recipe that I usually use to make a super delicious, super easy home ice-cream but have ventured out a little and found a different version that is still easy and yummo.

This recipe is a combination of a Caramel Semifreddo and Nigella's Meringue Gelato Cake. I added some rum ('tis the season) and created a delicious frozen dessert. You can call it anything really I won't hold it against you semifreddo, gelato or ice-cream. I'm sure there are proper definitions of each but it's all the same when its in my belly! The meringue gives it a little crunch of texture which I don't mind in ice-cream, and rum + caramel = great combination! Enjoy! Oh and apologies for the terrible photos, not my best effort :(

Rum, Caramel and Merengue Semifreddo

Adapted from Australia's Sweet Baking Favourites and Nigella.com

What you will need

4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
300ml thickened cream
1 can caramel top 'n' fill (or a tin of condensed milk boiled to caramel)
30mls rum
100g crushed meringues

What you will need to do

In a small bowl, whisk the caramel with the rum until smooth. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the cream and beat until thick. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture until just combined. Gently fold through spoonfuls of the caramel mixture and merengues until just combined, do not over mix. Pour mixture into a pan with at least 2l capacity. Freeze overnight.

Mango Weiss Bars

Summer to me means one thing...MANGOES!! They are the most delicious fruit and the best kind are grown up here, Bowen. Whilst at home over Christmas I raided my parents mango tree and came back with a bounty of beautiful fresh homegrown Bowen mangoes. Time to make the ultimate mango dessert, Mango Weiss Bars.

This sweet fresh dessert is so simple and the results are identical to the Mango Weiss Bars you buy. My mother used to make this when we had an abundant of mangoes and needed to use them up before they went off. These bars can be stored in the freezer for ages so its a great way to prolong the mango season :).

Mango Weiss Bars

(Adapted from Taste.com)

What you will need

3 Large mangoes
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups water
2 tbsp orange juice
600 ml cream

What you will need to do 

Peel mangoes and remove flesh. Place in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the orange juice and combine. Meanwhile in a saucepan heat the sugar and water on low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boil for 5 minutes, mixture will thicken slightly. Leave to cool to room temp. Once cooled, combine with mango mixture.

Place cream in a bowl and add 1 1/2 cup of mango mixture. Stir to combine then pour into a lamination tray lined with foil. Place in the freezer to set. Once firm, pour mango mixture on top and place back into freezer to set again. Once set, slice into bars.

Homemade Choc-Top Drumsticks

Well Choctober is now well underway and I'm keeping my promise about the chocolate centred recipes even if my stomach begs me to stop! This week I decided on Choc-Tops. I have the easiest, most delicious ice cream recipe and I thought it was time to crack it out.

My favourite part of drumstick ice creams was the thick bit of chocolate found at the bottom of the cone, I just had to replicate it! I made a yummy chocolate sauce to go between layers of vanilla ice cream. I topped half with a cookie  dough ice cream and the other with choc-fudge brownie ice cream (chocolate overload!).

Homemade Choc-Top Drumsticks

What you will need

8 waffle cones
300g milk chocolate, melted
3 pieces chocolate brownies
Half a packet of cookie dough mix (made up following instructions on packet)
200g extra milk chocolate, melted

For the Ice Cream
1 tin condensed milk
600ml cream

For the Chocolate Sauce
1/3 cup cream
150g dark chocolate
Handful marshmallows

What you will need to do

Spread the insides of the waffle cones with the melted chocolate. I set mine up in the egg holder from my fridge balanced on two glasses, it worked perfectly! Put in freezer to set.

To make the chocolate sauce, heat the cream, chocolate and marshmallows in a small saucepan over low heat until smooth.

To make the ice cream, beat the cream and condensed milk until thick. Fill the cones one third with ice cream, top with chocolate sauce and another layer of ice cream. Return to the freezer to set.

Split the rest of the ice cream between two containers. Mix any remaining chocolate sauce and the chocolate brownies into one container and the cookie dough into the other. Put into freezer to set.

Once set, scoop 4 large scoops of brownie ice cream and place on top of 4 waffle cones. Scoop 4 large scoops of cookie dough ice cream and place on top of other 4 waffle cones. Return to freezer to set again for about 10 minutes. 

Take out and dip each cone into the extra melted chocolate. Return to freezer to set. Once chocolate is set, ENJOY!