"Chef's Diary"

Ingredients:

• 1 Litre vanilla ice cream

• 300 ml Cream

• 1/2 tsp Almond essence

• 1/2 Cup toasted almonds

• 50 gm Dark chocolate

• 2 tbsp Sugar

• 1/2 Cup glace fruit, chopped

How to make Cassata:

• Soften the ice-cream and combine the almond essence with it.

• Line the base and sides of 1 litre pudding basin leaving a cavity in the centre for the fruit mixture.

• Freeze till firm.

• Whip cream and sugar together till the peaks form.

• Now chop chocolate and almonds.

• Fold the chopped fruit, chocolate and almonds into the whipped cream.

• Fill the cavity of the ice cream with it.

• Cover it with foil and freeze till firm.

• Just before serving, dip the basin into very hot water, quickly 2 or 3 times then invert and shake sharply onto a serving plate.

• Cut Casata into wedges and serve.