Changing Seasons and My Kid’s Almond & Apricot Granola

I love living in a place where we experience a real change between the seasons.  Watching my garden transform from green to golden then to bare and lifeless and as if by magic to green and lush again brings me so much pleasure.  Beautiful memories are made by the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the things we do.  

These experiences unfold to tell the story of our year.

Yesterday Francesca and I made the journey over to Sorrento by ferry to visit her holistic GP.  It was a freezing, blustery Autumn day and so we rugged up in our woolliest woollen jumpers, scarves and boots.  Protected from the cold we set out only to arrive early in a still sleepy Queenscliff.  The temptation to stop for a  hot chocolate was too great and so we allowed the wind to blow us into a small, rustic cafe where we sat by the blazing fire sipping our steaming drinks.

A fresh gust of wind blew in the door with each customer coming in for their much needed latte and chilled our warm cheeks rosy from the fire.  We made friendly conversation with the locals and discussed the local ingredients the chef liked to use in his dishes.  I felt so alive, so a part of that morning…so connected.

Today I’m snuggled up inside as the rain raps against the windows and the yellowed leaves of the maple swirl and dance on my deck.  Cafe del Mar plays, the house is warmed by the fire and the smell of cinnamon, butter and honey drifts from the kitchen.

Bliss.

Kid’s Almond and Apricot Granola

Breakfast is a big deal in our house.  My kids wake up ravenous and like to be filled up with warming, hearty food.  I make this granola for them to have on the mornings I don’t have time to cook omlettes, french toast or porridge from scratch.  The dairy eaters love it with home made yoghurt and the non dairy eaters have it with almond milk and softly poached pears.  It is delicious with my pear and prune compote.

 

Ingredients:

4 cups of whole, rolled oats

1/2 cup of shredded coconut

1/2 cup of chopped almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pepitas

1/4 cup of melted butter or coconut oil

1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup

about 10 organic dried apricots, chopped (I use my kitchen scissors for this job!)

What to do:

Set oven to 150 C

Place all ingredients except butter and honey in a large bowl and mix to combine.  Melt the honey and butter together and mix well, then stir through the oat mixture to coat well.  It may seem like it isn’t enough, but it is.

Spread mixture on to two lined baking trays and toast in the oven for around 30 minutes, taking out to stir with a fork every ten minutes or so, until golden.

Allow to cool, then add the dried apricots.  Store in the cupboard in an airtight container.

• So delicious with fruit and yoghurt
• Use as a crunchy topping on fruity muffins
• Use as a delicious topping for pear, apple or rhubarb crumble

What is your favourite season?  Are you a beach babe or a snow bunny?  What kinds of foods remind you of the season you are in?

Keep warm,

mamacino x

My Girl Crush and a Warming Autumn Breakfast

I would have to say that I am a girl’s girl.

Excluding my husband, I would choose the company of my favourite girlfriends every time.  I am so lucky to have a small group of really wonderful, warm and supportive female friends and I couldn’t think of anything better than joining them for lunch at a chic cafe for endless conversation, champagne and dessert! 

I also find myself with a girl crush from time to time.

For me, a girl crush is finding someone who you have so much in common with, who makes you smile and nod your head vigorously in understanding with everything they say.  Someone who you admire, who you aspire to be like.  Someone you would just love to hang around with drinking tea…even if you have never, and in all likelihood will never, meet them.

My latest girl crush is Sophie Dahl.

 

I remember Sophie Dahl from her modelling days.  She was unconventional, to say the least as a model but she seemed not to care.  She was who she was…a young woman, a lover of food and someone trying to find their way in the world.  Sophie had a love for food all her life, but not a lot of direction in how to nourish herself.  Like me, she has been on a food journey and seems to finally have found her culinary home.

Food can be so emotionally connected.  Some eat for comfort, some to celebrate, some to cure loneliness, some purely for fuel.  I think as girls, sometimes we come to rely on food to be there for us and so begins our journey, or battle, to use it and not abuse it.

Like Sophie, I have tried every way of eating there is and have settled on some sensible ideas that my grandmother probably mentioned when I was just a girl.  Eat when you are hungry, indulge a little but not too much – if you enjoy a decadent piece of cake go for a brisk walk in the fresh air to work it off and maybe settle for a lighter dinner.  Eat real food!  I can not stress how important this has become to me.  Cook with good quality, seasonal ingredients – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good fats like butter or coconut oil, well raised meat and dairy products like real natural yoghurt, nibble on nuts, drink water.  Listen to your body and acknowledge what it requires to be nourished.  Be proud of your body, look after it and find friends who support you in doing this.  It’s more fun that way!

Breakfast Rice Pudding with Pear and Prune Compote

This recipe is inspired by Sophie’s Rice Cereal in her book Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights.  

 

Rice Pudding

Serves 2 generously

Place 1/2 cup of basmati rice, a cinnamon stick, a sprinkle of cardamom and 1 cup of rice milk in a small pot and bring to the boil.  Turn down to the lowest heat, cover and cook for around twenty minutes until soft and the milk has been absorbed.

You may need to add a little more milk as you go and stir frequently to prevent the rice sticking.

Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup, a big spoonful of compote and a dollop of natural yoghurt if you fancy.

Pear and Prune Compote

In a small pot add a stick of cinnamon, the peeled rind of half an orange, the juice of the orange and about 1 cup of water.

Cover, bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down low and add 5 pitted prunes, 2 cored and diced pears, two cored and diced apples and simmer until the fruit is soft, around five minutes.

Stir through a teaspoon of vanilla extract and serve with the rice pudding.

* Sometimes I puree the compote as the kids seem to like it better like that!

Are you a girl’s girl or perhaps you prefer the company of the opposite sex?  Go on, I really want to know…who is your secret girl crush?

Keep warm,

mamacino x

Hooting Owls and Top 5 Easy Dinners for Kids

It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon here.  

The oven is warm, dough is rising, seeds are being planted, books are being read and stacked into towering piles.  It is a chilly Autumn day and we have turned the heating on for the first time this season.  We are together but separate each with our own ideas of how to fill the endless afternoon.  It’s peaceful.  I like it.

I like to keep dinner simple on a Sunday.  In fact, I usually don’t have much choice.  Restricted by an empty fridge, I dive deep into the pantry to find a few ingredients to pull something together, to make do until tomorrow when the weekly shop takes place.

If you find yourself in a similar predicament, you might like to turn to these ideas for simple dinners for inspiration…

Top 5 Easy Dinners For Kids

These are some of the dinners I turn too when the kids are hungry but I don’t have a lot of time…or inclination…for cooking.

Vegetable Pasties

Easy dinner for the kids..

These pasties are great when you have leftovers and by all means, add some meat if you have some spare.  We made them the other night with leftover curried mince and veggies!

Sweet Potato Soup

Super Simple Sweet Potato Soup

We made this simple sweet potato soup from just a few ingredients and it tasted great!  It doesn’t take long to cook and it goes great with some toasted sour dough.

Lentil Bolognaise

Lentil Bolognese

This is a wonderful vegetarian lentil pasta dish that is filling and tasty.  It is made with things you normally have in the pantry and doesn’t take long to put together.  A winner all round!

Baked Eggs

Eggs feature heavily on the weekend menus around here.  Sometimes it doesn’t end up so simple if everyone wants theirs cooked a different way!  I love my eggs baked with beans or a simple vegetable stew…so tasty and delicious and good for you too!

Morrocan Style Beef

Moroccan Style Beef

I’m not one to have much in the freezer but I am definitely trying to improve on that!  If you have some minced beef or lamb on hand, this Morrocan Beef is a really versatile dish to make…and tastes great too!

So…now that dinner is sorted, we can all get back to doing the important things, like reading books!

I am very lucky to occasionally receive some children’s books from Scholastic Australia to read and review if they take our fancy.  I just have to mention our latest favourite, Ten Hooting Owls by Ed Allen and illustrated by Simon Williams.

 

It is written to the tune of ten green bottles and describes the misadventures of a group of owls.  It is great fun and Leonardo and Francesca both love it…it has been on high rotation for bedtime reading here this week!

What do you and your family like to do on a Sunday afternoon?  Maybe you indulge in a long lunch, or go out to a restaurant?  Maybe you have a long standing family tradition?  I’d love to hear about it!

Chillax,

mamacino x

Feed the Kids…Speedy Fried Rice

My children have reached the age where they want to be a part of after school activities.

This is the stage in life where, as parents, we offer up any last shred of freedom we may have been clinging to and become chief timetable managers and taxi service providers.  It’s so much fun…

On top of the new skills we must acquire to co-ordinate these extra demands on our time, we must also keep on top of the old ones!  And the top of the list is, as usual…food!

On Wednesdays after school, we have swimming lessons.  After wrestling three soggy, tired children through the showers, dressing them and exiting the pool with all and sundry in tact, we arrive home starving.  I have learnt to be completely prepared for a simple and speedy dinner to avoid meltdowns and ensure we are organised and settled down in time for The Voice.

Tonight on the menu is Speedy Fried Rice.

Delicious, versatile, easy…

This isn’t a recipe as much as an idea because it will work with pretty much whatever you have rolling around in the fridge…it is especially convenient if you have some cooked brown rice or quinoa in the fridge, but if not, you can cook it up during the day.  You need about 2 cups.

(I like to soak my brown rice for about 8 hours in plenty of water with a teaspoon of whey just to make it easier to digest.)

Here’s how I make it:

• Get your wok or frying pan nice and hot.  Add a dash of coconut oil.  Crack an egg in a small bowl and beat it up a bit.  Pour into the hot wok to make a thin omlette.  Turn once, then remove when cooked through.  Roll and cut into small pieces.
• Add to your wok about two cups of diced mixed veggies such as…peas, corn, capsicum, onion, garlic, grated ginger, green beans, carrot…anything you like, or more to the point, that your kids will eat! You can even add some bacon if you like.
• Once cooked but still crisp, around five minutes, then tip in the cooked rice or quinoa.  Mix well, then add a dash of Shoyu or soy sauce.
• Serve as is, with some chopped coriander or with some grilled chicken strips.

What is your favourite speedy meal for nights when you are late home with hungry mouths to feed?

Happy Eating!

mamacino x

 

 

C is for Coconut Oil…A Guest Post by Meg from My Wholefood Romance…

Coconut Oil has taken the health world by storm in the time that I have been interested in all things whole food.  I love using it to cook with…my roasted sweet potato with coconut oil and maple syrup is divine and I love to gently caramelise fennel in it with a little maple syrup too…with a bit of goat cheese and rocket it makes an amazing topping for pizza.  

Coconut Oil is so packed full of amazing health benefits, I thought it would be best to leave it to someone who really knows their stuff when it comes to healthy eating…

Introducing Meg, from My Wholefood Romance.  Meg and I share a love for all things delicious and good for you, including Jude Blereau’s cakes!  If you haven’t already checked out Meg’s blog, My Wholefood Romance, do!  It has so much useful information and some amazing recipes too.  You can also catch her for a chat on facebook.

Lovely Meg…

So…getting back to Coconut Oil…

Coconut Oil, is it the new black?

So what is the buzz about coconut oil? The general low down is that it’s a super fantastic food, that just happens to have a swag of amazing talents. Call it a superfood if you will. I call it love. And here’s why.

It’s a medium chain fatty acid, which means our body can metabolise it in the gut and convert it to use immediately for energy, rather than storing it as fat. It also helps stimulate metabolism. In this way it can be useful for weight management and insulin resistance. Awesome!

The way that it is metabolised also makes it ideal for anyone with digestive disorders, or difficulty digesting fat. Great!

It has a high smoke point, and does not go rancid at high temperatures as other cooking oils do. Fantastic!

It contains lauric acid and caprylic acid, which are antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral; supporting our immune system in its humungous tasks. Super!

It is an amazing dairy substitute for those on a dairy-free diet, and can be used in place of butter in most recipes. Score!

Meg’s Chocolate Ganache filled Coconut Almond Cookies…divine!

It is beautifully hydrating for the skin and helps to keep connective tissues strong. Think less irritation and redness, and theoretically can help reduce fine lines…ok now I am sounding like a TV commercial, but I’m just saying…

Convinced? Me too. So where do you get it and how do you use it?

Go for an organic, unrefined and cold pressed coconut oil. You would be best to find this at your local health food shop. I really like the Loving Earth stuff. If you have not used coconut oil before, start with about a teaspoon daily, and work your way up to anywhere between 1 and 3 tablespoons so as not to experience any digestive disturbance (read diarrhoea!).

And here are my favourite ways of using it.

I am a huge fan of green smoothies. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to your next one (or any other smoothie) and watch it sing!

Use it for all your high heat cooking.  Stir frys, sautéing, baking, you get the idea. My personal favourites are tempeh lightly fried in coconut oil, and good old roast potatoes in coconut oil – YUM! Oh, and this popcorn.

Add a teaspoon of coconut oil to your favourite tea. It sounds weird, but it’s so lovely! It gives a slight sweetness to it, along with the nourishing feeling of a nice fat.

Use it on your body. As a moisturiser, an overnight hair treatment, or even a make up remover or deoderant if you’re game. It’s wonderful for skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema, and also makes a great natural lubricant! Who knew!!

So there you have it. The humble coconut showing us how it’s done. If you want to bake with it, just keep in mind that it is solid at room temperature. This is fine for when things are in the oven, but it will constrict again once cool, and can slightly change the texture of your cake. The taste is amazing though! And for the most coconut oil-y recipe I could find check out these Chocolate Ganache Filled Coconut Biscuits – you will not be disappointed!

Thanks for having me Mamacino! x

It’s my pleasure Meg!

So…what is your favourite way to use Coconut Oil?  Share your ideas and tips with us, we all want to know what works for you!

Happy Eating,

mamacino x

B is for Butter and a Simple Home Made Garlic Bread.

Have you heard?  Butter is good for you!

Well, it makes sense, doesn’t it?  Butter is a real food, it is delicious and it has many nutritional benefits.  Not sure the same can be said of the alternative.

As explained by Jude Blereau in her book Wholefood for Children, butter is rich in Vitamins A, D and E.  Butter, ghee and cream contain less milk solids than actual milk making it easier to digest, though if you have a dairy allergy, you will need to steer clear of it and look towards other good fats such as avocado and coconut oil.

Adding a little organic butter to your steamed vegetables won’t only make them taste delicious it will also help your body better absorb the vitamins and minerals.

Well, I’m convinced…but you may not be!

This article on Butter vs Margerine by Naughty Naturopath Mum has much more detailed information for your consideration.

Home made Garlic Bread

I’m not sure I have ever met anyone who does not like garlic bread, but let’s face it…the commercial stuff can be pretty unhealthy!  With the season of long braised casseroles and slowly simmered soups almost here, home made garlic bread makes a wonderful addition to any table…and it is so easy to make!

You can use a lovely sour dough baguette or, if I’m just making it for the kids, I use spelt rolls I buy from my local Farmer’s Market.  Slice them, not all the way through, about 1cm apart.

To make the garlic butter, simply place soft butter (about 125g is a good amount), a clove or two of crushed garlic and a handful of your favourite herbs like parsley or rosemary in the food processor and whiz until well chopped and combined.

Spread the butter generously into the sliced roll and wrap with foil.

Cook in a 180C oven for 20 minutes and then five more with the foil unwrapped a little bit.

Obviously, the healthiness of your garlic bread, as well as the taste, will depend on the quality of your ingredients.  I always go for organic butter and just use it in moderation, sort of…

Serve with pasta, soup, shepherd’s pies, meatballs or whatever you like!

Enjoy!

mamacino x

Feed the Kids – Quick and Easy Quinoa Surprise

My kids are pretty sceptical of anything that turns up on their plate with the word surprise in it’s title.  

They know it usually means mum has cleaned out the fridge and is trying to use up whatever is left rolling around in the crisper…but this Quinoa and Vegetable Bake was a good surprise…for them because it tasted good and for me because they ate it!

Quick and Easy Quinoa Surprise

This recipe is so versatile, it’s not really even a recipe!  This is how I made it but you could really use whatever you have in the fridge.

Makes 4 large or 12 small slices

Ingredients:

2 carrots, grated

Small piece of pumpkin, grated

Kernels from one cob of corn

A handful of parsley, chopped

1 cup of cooked quinoa

4 eggs, free range or organic

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season

A handful of grated parmesan to top with, if you like – optional

What to do:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (except parmesan which you will sprinkle on top before cooking) and pour into a lined 20cm, square cake tin.

Bake for 30 minutes at 180C or until brown and set firm.

Allow to cool a little before slicing.  Serve hot or cold with a favourite sauce.

Options:

• Add some chopped cooked chicken or a can of drained tuna.
• Substitute the quinoa for cooked brown rice.
• Add chopped tomatoes and basil for an Italian twist or spinach and feta if you prefer Greek.
• Use other vegetables such as zucchini, potato, capsicum, peas, asparagus (risky, but some kids like it…don’t they?).
• Put slices in a whole grain roll with lettuce and good quality tomato sauce to make a veggie burger.

Do you have unexpected surprise successes in the kitchen?  If you do, share it here…we’d love to know!  Would love to hear about any spectacular failures too…goodness knows, we all have them!

Happy Eating,

mamacino x

How to make Labne and a bit about Lacto-fermentation.

Fermenting food is all the rage at the moment and with good reason!  As we begin to abandon processed, refined foods and step back to traditional ways of preparing whole ingredients, we are learning that the many benefits of fermentation are too good to ignore!

As you may know, we have been dairy free around here for quite some time.  Having complicated gut issues to contend with, leaving dairy products out of our diet was important, mainly for Francesca, but also for Leonardo and myself.  

As our health improves, I am starting to reintroduce a little dairy to our meals in very small steps.  It might be a little goat cheese on a spelt pizza or some home made natural yoghurt in a smoothie.  One thing I’m really enjoying is creamy Labne.

What on earth is lacto-fermentation?

Labne is a delicious, smooth and creamy cultured cheese made from yoghurt.  The yoghurt goes through a process of lacto-fermentation to become labne.

As explained by Jude Blereau in her amazing book Wholefood for Children, Laco-fermentation  encourages the growth of lactic acid-producing bacilli.  As they proliferate, they produce lactic acid which is one of the oldest methods of preserving food.

As it’s all a bit new to me, I asked my wonderful friend and Naturopath extraordinaire Alisha from Naughty Naturopath Mum and Essence Practitioner for her take on how lacto-fermentation can make dairy products more easily digested and beneficial to the gut…here’s what she told me…

“Any fermented food is what is known as pre-digested. The natural enzymes involved in the fermentation process have already done most of the work for you. People who often suffer from dairy intolerance can often tolerate cultured forms of dairy due to the protein (cassein) being broken down into smaller particles so it can travel across the gut wall a lot easier than in it’s whole form.”

Are you convinced?

Unfortunately, labne is still off the list if you have a dairy allergy or serious intolerance but for the rest of us, it is a wonderful thing to add to your diet in moderation.

How to make Labne…

It’s easy!  Simply place a sieve lined with a double piece of muslin (I use my nut milk bag!) over a bowl.  Spoon about 500g of really good quality, natural, pot set yoghurt (organic is a good investment here – we make our own) on to the muslin and allow it to sit in the fridge for about 24 hours.

You will notice the yoghurt firms up beautifully and what you will be left with in the bowl underneath is whey.

DO NOT THROW THE WHEY AWAY!

Whey has many uses and can be really handy in the kitchen.  Store it in a clean jar in the fridge.  More about whey in a post to come soon!

How to eat Labne…

Labne can be used just like cream cheese or sour cream.

• Spread it on toast with a little olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper or a drizzle of honey if you like it sweet – absolutely put it on your hot cross buns!
• Dollop on a hot pizza, baked sweet potato or lamb and salad pita.
• Use it like cream on baked or poached fruit, like I did with my pears.

Have you tried making fermented foods at home?  What’s your take on them? If you are as interested as I am, here are some links you might like to follow…

Naughty Naturpoath Mum and Essence Practioner’s series on Gut Health

Vanessa from Slow Heart Sing’s adventures at a Fermentation Workshop

Sherilyn from Whole Promise’s delicious fermented beets with orange and thyme

This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday at HolisticSquid.com!

Get cultured!

mamacino x

Apricot, Almond and Oat Slice and a little secret…

I have a secret.

Well, not a secret exactly, but something I haven’t told you.  Something I have been keeping quiet about. Tomorrow, I am going to Hong Kong.  For a week.  Without my children!  I am nervous and excited, but maybe just a little bit more excited.

The reason I have been so quiet about this amazing, once in a lifetime trip is because I couldn’t quite believe it was really going to happen.  But we’re checked in.  Phew.

My great friend, who is also a mum and I are going to stay with my mum for a whole week where we intend to climb the steps to the Buddha, eat dinner at The Spicy Crab where they give you toilet paper for a serviette and drink cocktails in high rise bars overlooking the magnificent city.

I haven’t got around to packing yet but I have made a few snacks to take with us.  I know, I know…but we have no children!  Well, my friend and I need to be fed regularly to be happy and I’m not going to rely on plane fare!  I have roasted almonds, apples from our tree, raw chocolate bliss balls and these delicious Apricot bars.  and if they want to give us a gin and tonic when we get on the plane…we won’t say no.

Apricot, Almond and Oat Slice

This recipe is from Jude Blereau’s book Wholefood for the family…a really wonderful book which I think should be on every family’s kitchen shelf.  I have substituted almonds for the walnuts that Jude recommends in the book.

Makes 16 pieces

1 1/2 cups organic dried apricots, roughly chopped

1 teaspoons of lemon juice

1 cup plain spelt flour

1 cup of rolled oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup rapadura sugar

80g unsalted butter melted, maybe you could use coconut oil?

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

small handful of almonds finely chopped

- put apricots in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to the boil.  Remove from the heat, add 1 tsp of lemon juice and allow to cool.

What to do:

- pre heat oven to 180C and line a 20cm square tin.

- put flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and mix well.  Add the butter and vanilla essence and mix again.

- spread 2/3 of this mixture over the base of the tin pressing down with your fingers.

- Spread the apricot mixture over the base – you might need to mash it a bit with a fork to mix the water in.

- add almonds to remaining crumble mixture and top your slice evenly with it.

-Bake for about 20 minutes.  Cool in the tin before slicing into 16 pieces or less if you prefer bigger bars.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Have you ever travelled overseas without your children?  It’s a really big deal for a mum!  Why don’t you  come with me!  Follow me on instagram (@mamacino) if you want to see the real Hong Kong!

Bon Voyage!

mamacino x

Celebration Chocolate Ice-Cream Cake

Yesterday, my daughter, Lucia, turned nine.

Nine!  I can not believe it…where has the time gone?  

We have a tradition in our family that I will make the cake of the birthday person’s choice and for Lucia…who isn’t a sweet tooth except for chocolate…it just had to be a chocolate ice-cream celebration cake!  And big emphasis on the word celebration…this is a sometimes food!

I’m not too keen on those supermarket ones…they remind me of birthday parties at McDonald’s when I was a kid!  So…we made our own…and it was easy!

Lucia’s Chocolate Ice-Cream Cake

Serves 12-16

Base:

For the base, place 3/4 cup of walnuts, 3/4 cup of almonds and 1 cup of pitted, chopped medjool dates in a food processor or TM and blitz to combine well.  The mixture should be fine, but still have some texture.  It should hold together when pressed – you may need to add 2-3 Tablespoons of water and/or a spoon full of honey (why not?).

Line a 24cm spring form tin with cling wrap (just to be sure and for easy removal) and then press the date and nut mixture into the base, just like you would if making a cheese cake.

Pop in the freezer to set for 30 mins or overnight.

Ice-Cream:

We made our own chocolate ice cream using good quality chocolate, milk, cream and sugar in the ice-cream machine.  You can use your own favourite flavour and recipe…the options are endless!

Here are some ideas….

Ferrero Rocher Ice-Cream from A girl, a guy, furkids and food!

 This would be divine…especially for a grown up…find the recipe here…you could decorate it with Ferrero Rocher chocolates…YUM!

 Strawberry Ice-Cream from Jude Blereau’s Wholefood Cooking 

This strawberry ice-cream would be a wonderful dairy free option and can’t you just imagine it decorated with piles of fresh strawberries on top?  Maybe even a drizzle of delectable chocolate sauce?

Decadent Chocolate Ice-Cream from Whole Promise

Now this chocolate ice-cream from Sherilyn at Whole Promise looks so rich and creamy and delicious…and really, who doesn’t like chocolate ice-cream?

Why not make two flavours and make a double decker?

When your ice-cream is finished churning in the machine, pour it into the cake tin over the nut/date base.  Cover in cling wrap and pop in the freezer until needed.

Decoration:

Well, what can I say…go crazy!  Take your cake out of the freezer only 5 minutes before serving, remove from the tin, peel off the cling wrap and place on a fancy platter.  For decoration, I kept it simple with some summer berries and grated chocolate but you could use anything you like…fruit, nuts, chocolates, dried fruit, cream….the list is endless.  That is the best thing about this cake…it is so easy to customise to the birthday persons favourite tastes.

What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?  I can’t wait to make a grown ups version of this…vanilla bean, macadamia nuts, praline, caramel….now I’m drooling!  How would you make it?

Happy Birthday!

mamacinox