MINIATURE SPICED CHOC-CHERRY RIPPLE CAKES

Preparation time 11/2 hours plus 30 mins chilling and 30 mins freezing Cooking time nil

Makes 12

375g unsalted butter, softened 41/2 cups icing sugar mixture, sifted 2 tsp vanilla extract

425g can cherries in syrup

250g pack Arnott’s Choc Ripple biscuits

250g pack gingernut biscuits

270g bag Nestle gold choc melts

130g container soft gold cachous

24 Pocky sticks (chocolate-covered biscuit sticks or small pretzel sticks), to serve

STEP 1 In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter until pale. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in vanilla.

STEP 2 Strain canned cherries over a bowl, reserving syrup, and roughly chop cherries.

STEP 3 Place 1 Choc Ripple biscuit on a board. Brush with cherry syrup, top with about a tablespoon of buttercream and sprinkle with chopped cherries. Sandwich with a gingernut biscuit, brush with cherry syrup, top with buttercream and sprinkle with cherries. Repeat to make a stack of biscuits 4 high, leaving final biscuit undecorated.

STEP 4 Repeat with remaining biscuits, buttercream, cherries and syrup. Freeze for 30 minutes to firm (this makes it easier to hold while decorating).

STEP 5 Using a small offset palette knife, spread buttercream on top and side of drums and make smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

STEP 6 Line a tray with baking paper. Put gold choc melts in a small bowl and microwave on HIGH (100%) in 30-second bursts until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small snaplock bag and trim a 2mm corner with scissors. Pipe thin lines on prepared baking tray as straight as possible. Leave to set.

STEP 7 Press gold cachous around top and base of drums. Snap gold choc lines into pieces about 5cm long and press into sides of drums on the diagonal. Snap ends of pocky sticks to shorten chocolate ends and form small drumsticks and arrange on top of drums. Serve.