Festive icecream sammies

These sandwiches need to be made in advance, in two short steps, but will keep for a few days in a container in the freezer.

Use spiced biscuits, if you can find them, for a festive flavour, or digestive biscuits also work well.

Double berry icecream sandwiches

Preparation time: 20minutes, plus freezing time

Makes 8 ■ 1kg good-quality berry icecream ■ 16 digestive or spiced biscuits ■ 8 boysenberries

■ 80g dark chocolate

■ 1 teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil

Remove the icecream from the freezer 5 minutes before rolling to soften it a little. Line a tray with baking paper and place in the freezer.

Warman icecream scoop in a jug of hot water. Scoop the icecream into a uniform round and dollop on to the underside of a biscuit. Use the back of the icecream scoop to make an indent to fit a boysenberry then sandwich with a second biscuit. Squeeze down a little to spread the icecream evenly to the edges, then place it biscuit bottom side down on the tray in the freezer.

Repeat with the remaining icecream and biscuits. Freeze for a minimum 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate and oil in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and use a spoon to decoratively drizzle chocolate over the icecream sandwiches. Return the tray to the freezer for aminimum 1 hour to set. Serve within 3 days. Nicola Galloway is an award-winning cookbook author, food writer and culinary tutor. homegrown-kitchen.co.nz