I came up with this one half way through a dinner party last night - although I had spent the week preparing and planning the mains and all my side dishes, I ran out of steam when it came to planning the hero of my dinner party: dessert. Needless to say, as dug into my curry banquet, I remembered I had fresh strawberries in the fridge, a recently baked batch of soft and chewy chocolate biscuits and a pint of blueberry swirl ice cream.
The results of this were amazing and incredibly easy and quick to bring together.
Chocolate, Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream Sandwiches with Fresh Strawberries and Ganache
Ingredients:
For the biscuits
1 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate buttons
For the Ganache
200g dark chocolate*
125 ml thickened Cream
50g butter
Blueberry ice cream
Fresh strawberries
Method:
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| The dessert without the ganache - still incredible. |
In a mixing bowl, beat slightly softened butter with sugar using a fork - it wont take long if the butter is soft (NOT melted).
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Lastly, add chopped chocolate
Refrigerate if necessary until easy to handle. Roll into balls approximately 3.5cm in diameter.
Place approximately 5 cm apart on a baking paper-lined baking tray. Flatten slightly.
Bake at 180 degrees centigrade for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are firm. Remove to wire racks carefully using a flat egg slice, they will be easily bendable and slightly crumbly until they have set completely on the rack.
Allow to cook completely.
Place cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Add butter and chocolate. Stir constantly to mix melting chocolate and butter into cream until completely mixed.
Place in heatproof bowl and refrigerate until desired consistency is reached. I like it to be a pouring consistency while still having a nice decadent richness and thickness to it. This may take several hours - but keep your eye on it where possible - I left mine in the fridge once overnight and it went almost rock solid - very difficult to pour or spread.
Slice strawberries into thin slices (however you like). These can be refrigerated for a few hours if you want to prepare beforehand.
When the time comes (i.e. as you are packing the plates from the main course) assemble the dessert.
Heat each cookie (or several at a time) for 30 seconds in your microwave. This will allow them to soften up and the chocolate chips to melt. Carefully scoop some blueberry ice cream and place on the top of one cookie. Arrange strawberry pieces on top. Pour some ganache over the top - but don't overdo it, this dessert packs a sweet punch all on its own.
Serve. Makes between 12-24 depending on how generous you would like to be.
*I used homebrand dark cooking chocolate and it worked a treat - but obviously good quality ingredients can turn a delicious dish into something extraordinary.
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| My husband loved it so much he asked for it again for breakfast (!) I simply omitted the strawberries (fresh out) and ganache - he still went nuts for it. |
**This recipe can be altered according to your imagination - I can picture peanut chocolate ice cream sunday-esque variations using peanut chocolate chip cookies and chocolate / butterscotch ice cream and chopped roasted peanuts, different berry variations, a banana chocolate creation... the list is only limited to what you can mix and match!
***The dessert works almost as well without the ganache and is much more of a "let me rustle something up" last minute creation without it - so just leave it out if you are in a rush!
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