For something different this Christmas, try this month’s festive (and somewhat humorous) recipe for frozen hazelnut pudding. The recipe comes from Yvonne Robson from the Rotary Club of Hall.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup mixed fruit, either with or without peel
• 200 g glacé cherries, halved or quartered
• 6 dates, chopped
• 6 pieces of crystallised ginger, chopped
• ¼ cup of dark rum
• crushed hazelnut kernels, lightly roasted
• slivered almonds, lightly roasted
• 3 eggs
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 250 g Nutella (don’t be stingy and buy an el-cheapo brand here – you’ll regret it)
• 600 ml whipped cream

Method:

Combine fruit in a small bowl, add rum, cover and leave overnight in fridge. If you can’t see the rum for the fruit, add a bit more, but don’t have the rum totally smothering the fruit.

When you’ve finished drinking the rest of the bottle watching the sun go down on a hot, sultry December evening, have a nice lie down, and get prepared for cooking the next day.

Whip cream, adding icing sugar and vanilla to taste. Put aside in the fridge. Remember to use full-fat cream – low fat cream doesn’t whip.

In a saucepan on low heat, put the sugar and the eggs, and whisk until the mixture is light and frothy. Do not boil – you don’t want sweet scrambled eggs.

Add the Nutella and stir until combined. Put the Nutella aside, well away from your children and/or spouse so that you can finish the rest of the jar on your own.

Cool the mixture. While the mixture is cooling, this is a good time to finish the rest of the Nutella.

Add fruit and rum mixture, and combine.

Fold in whipped cream. Add nuts.

Pour the mixture into an ice-cream container, and bung it in the freezer.

Lick the saucepan clean.

Allow a good 24 hours’ minimum to allow the mixture to freeze