Ingredients

• 2 cups raw hazelnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 6 tbsp orange liqueur (Grand Marnier) or you can use rum
• 34 fl.oz - 1 litre real vanilla bean ice-cream
• 6 small meringues
• 1 cup -180g dark cooking chocolate
• 1½ cups of heavy cream (thickened)
• 1 orange (zest only)

Steps

• Step 1

  Place the hazelnuts in a baking pan, roast in a preheated oven at 350°F – 180°C for 12 minutes. Once roasted, remove from oven, leave to cool 5 minutes and place in a clean kitchen towel. Pick up each corner of the towel to contain the nuts and massage vigorously to peel off their skins. (Note: Some stubborn skins may not come off. You may have have to scrape them off individually or simply leave them on if it’s just a few) Crush nuts in a mortar and pestle medium coarse or hit a few pulses in a food processor. Set crushed nuts aside.

• Step 2

  Place the raisins in a bowl and top with orange liqueur and cover. You could also use Rum. Leave to marinate at room temperature 2 to 3 hours.

• Step 3

  Remove the vanilla ice-cream from freezer and leave out until it starts to become soft.

• Step 4

  Place ice-cream in a very cold mixing bowl along with the marinated raisins and mix well. Place in freezer 15 minutes.

• Step 5

  Arrange your dariole moulds and scoop mixture only half filling each mould. Place a meringue in the centre and top up the other half of the mould.(If meringues are too big, break them up or trim to size) Place in freezer immediately, then repeat for each one. Ideally these need to stay in your freezer overnight, but you may get away with 4-6 hours.

• Step 6

  Remove dariole mould icecreams from the freezer and run the outside of each mould under hot running water for only 2 seconds. Run a small knife along the inside to loosen the icecream away from the mould and tip directly into the crushed nuts. Roll and compact well in the nuts. Wrap in cling film and freeze at least 1 hour.

• Step 7

  For the chocolate sauce, add the cream to a saucepan on medium to low heat, then add the chocolate broken up in pieces. Once the cream starts to gently simmer, stir the chocolate until smooth. Turn off heat and great the zest of one orange. Mix well.

• Step 8

  Remove icecream from freezer, place on a plate and serve by pouring over chocolate sauce. You can also do that directly at the table. Garnish with cuts of strawberries and mint leaves.

Little Tips

Dariole moulds used are 220ml or approx 8oz.

Make a batch, these can last a long time in freezer, then reheat chocolate sauce in microwave before serving. A great dessert for dinner parties.

You can also buy crushed hazelnuts if you wish to save time.

Keep everything cold, place your dariole moulds and mixing bowl in freezer before working.