S'mores ice cream cake

With this hot weather promising to last for the rest of the month you may be looking for cold desserts to follow all that effort you put into the barbecue, especially desserts that you can prepare in advance and just produce with a flourish when the burgers are done and the coals are cooling.  For those who don't know S'mores are a sandwich of Graham Crackers and marshmallow covered in chocolate, so called because everyone wants more.  Graham Crackers are an American biscuit like a slightly less sweet digestive so our biscuits are always a good alternative in American recipes.  Except this one of course because it has the damned things around the outside and they're rectangular!  You can buy them on Amazon for about eight quid including postage but my lovely wife came up with the idea of using Cadbury Chocolate Fingers; the second best biscuit in the world, which is about the right texture and even better, covered in chocolate.  I don't know what set me off on this path, I think I saw a recipe for a S'mores cake on Google + and went looking at recipes.  I found one I liked and translated it into English for all of you.  I have doubles the amount of chocolate sauce for this recipe as I thought it was lacking in the one I made.  The original recipe also called for chocolate ice cream but I tried Tesco Chocolate and Vanilla.  You may also want to use more marshmallows on top for a better look.  You could also keep your chocolate fingers longer so that they come up to the top of the marshmallows .  You can find light corn syrup in the Ethnic aisle at the supermarket or on line.  Alternatively you can buy a light syrup for use in cocktails from the spirits aisle which comes in several flavours.

S'MORES ICE CREAM CAKE

 

 

• 8oz/200g plain chocolate, chopped
• 300ml pot of double cream
• 4 fl oz light corn syrup
• 4 oz/100g digestive biscuits, reduced to crumbs 
• 2 oz/50g butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• jar of Marshmallow Fluff (usually in the jam aisle)
• 2-3 litres of good chocolate ice cream
• 2-3 packets of marshmallows
• 2 packets of Cadbury Chocolate Fingers

 

For the fudge layer

 

Combine the chocolate, cream and syrup in a small pan and stir over a very gentle heat until melted and smooth, allow to cool

 

For the crust

 

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325F/170C/Gas 3

Butter a 9" spring form tin and line it with baking paper

 

 

Combine the biscuit crumbs, butter and sugar until it looks like wet sand.  Spread in the bottom of the pan in an even layer and bake for about 10 minutes till golden and fragrant. Allow to cool completely.

 

Pour the cooled chocolate sauce over the base and put it into the freezer for about 30 minutes to set
Spread the marshmallow over the chocolate ( you'll be glad you set it!) and return this to the freezer for another 15 minutes
Get the ice cream out to soften
Spread the ice cream over the marshmallow, cover with cling film and freeze for about four hours till very hard.
Preheat an overhead grill
Get it out and top with the marshmallows, then place it under the grill to toast them.  It only takes a few minutes and it does work. You can also do this with a chef's blowtorch if you have one.
Pop it back in the freezer till you're ready to serve.  Take it out of the tin and remove the baking paper and set it on a serving plate.  Cut your chocolate fingers to the length you want and press them onto the sides.  Serve.  It won't be there long.