Growing up in Australia with hot, summer Christmases calls for a different take on the traditional festive menu.
Forget big roast turkeys with all the trimmings, and other winter-warming fare, and think instead of seafood (yes, shrimps, if you must), chicken, and ham cold-cuts. Roast vegetables aren't out of the question, but salad is just as likely to grace the table.
[Related: Top Christmas party foods with a twist]
Recipe: How to make Christmas pudding ice cream
And when it comes to dessert, it's always a dish best served cold Down Under.
So when one Christmas many years ago my Mum pioneered a cool, summery take on the traditional pud, I fell in love. And it instantly became a family favourite and festive staple.
This recipe is as simple as it gets, and can be made well in advance of the big day. No cooking is required; all it takes is just a bit of chopping and stirring, and a stint in the freezer.
[Related: Top recipes for better brussel sprouts this Christmas]
Christmas pudding ice cream recipe:
Ingredients:
(all measurements, and indeed ingredients, are 'to taste')
Vanilla ice cream
Dried fruit (sultanas, cranberries, glacé cherries, etc)
Nuts (almonds, macadamias, etc)
Chocolate
Baileys
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Method:
1. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it melt a little, until soft
2. Chop the fruit and nuts and add those to the ice cream
3. Make some chocolate shavings, or even easier, crush up a Flake, and throw that into the mix
4. Pour in a few glugs of Baileys and add a couple of shakes each of cinnamon and nutmeg
5. Then stir thoroughly to combine all the ingredients
6. You might wish to pour the mixture into a domed container so you can later turn it out onto a plate and present it like a real pudding. Alternatively, use any old container, and in both cases, put it in the freezer to set.
And that's it, you're done. Sit back and relax, perhaps with a glass of the left-over Baileys.
