Coffee hit with a twist
AFFOGATO ICE CREAM CAKE WITH FRANGELICO ‘ICE MAGIC’ WAKE UP FROM THE DAILY GRIND WITH THESE BREW-TIFUL WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE BELOVED BEAN
SERVES 10. PREP 20 MINS. COOK 30 MINS. FREEZE 6HR 30MIN
INGREDIENTS
• 2 x 500g packets brownie mix
• 1/ cup (80ml) Frangelico
3
• 1L espresso-flavoured ice cream or gelato, softened
• 100g chopped dark (40 per cent) chocolate
• 35g coconut oil
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 cup (120g) pure icing sugar, sifted
• 250g mascarpone
• chocolate coated coffee beans, roughly chopped, to serve
METHOD
1 Preheat oven and prepare brownie mixture according to packet instructions. Spread each brownie into two 22cm lined cake pans. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven, and brush each with 1 tbs Frangelico. Cool completely. Use a 20cm springform cake pan as a guide to trim to two 20cm cakes.
2 Grease a 20cm springform cake pan and line base and side of with baking paper. Place 1 of the trimmed cakes in the base. Spread softened ice cream over the top, then top with second cake. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
3 When almost ready to serve, make the Frangelico ‘ice magic’. Place chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth, then stir in remaining 40ml Frangelico and cool to room temperature. Whisk cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form, then whisk in the mascarpone. Release the cake from the pan and place on a serving plate. Top with the mascarpone mixture then drizzle with cooled Frangelico ‘ice magic’. Freeze for 30 minutes to set the sauce. Scatter over coffee beans to serve.
CATS are true carnivores and therefore born hunters, so thankfully there are ways to fulfil your feline’s needs without letting them roam outdoors.
With an estimated 3.3 million owned cats in Australia, the RSPCA’S Safe and Happy Cats was established to promote the “safer at home, don’t let me roam” message.
The online resource states that contrary to popular belief, indoor cats can have a great quality of life compared to outdoor cats and are less likely to harm or kill wildlife, while having a lower risk of illness, injury or death.
The RSPCA recommends finding the best solution for your environment including secure indoor and outdoor enclosures, while providing adequate protein sources and stimulating toys.
Dr Magdoline Awad, chief veterinary officer at Greencross The Pet Company and Smartdaily’s weekly pet columnist, considers the environment of this reader’s cat as a possible source of its vomiting problem.
SUGGESTIONS FOR A VOMITING CAT
What makes a cat vomit? She is four years old, has a small tin of moist cat food twice a day and dry food with plenty of fresh water available. She is an outdoors cat and I have to bring her dry food in at night as there is a stray cat about which sneaks her food. In the mornings, she is hungry. Sometimes she vomits her food as I feel she probably eats it too fast. She looks healthy and weighs 4.6kg. Regards, Maggy
Being an outdoor cat, you may not be aware of what she gets up to daily or what she eats or hunts. There are many reasons why cats will vomit. It could be she is hunting and may have eaten something unusual.
Has there been a change in the food that you feed her? A change in diet can cause vomiting. Antigulping bowls are available to slow eating too.
There are some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or other organs such as the liver and kidneys that can cause vomiting including inflammatory disease, infections or cancer.
Also, conditions that affect hormones, such as thyroid disease or diabetes – the former being more common in cats over 10-12 years of age.
It is important to have her checked by your vet. They may ask you about her appetite, her drinking habits and may run some tests to rule out various diseases.
Try and keep your cat indoors so you can keep an eye on her – there are many outdoor enclosures that you can install that allow outdoor access but keep her safe from other cats. Good luck Maggy.