• These ice cream Christmas trees are perfect for the warm festive season.

    Recipe, styling and photograph by Katelyn Allegra

    Assisted by Casandra Upton

    Ice-cream Christmas trees

    Serves: Makes 6
    Total Time: 30 mins + overnight, to freeze

    Ingredients

    • CONE MOULDS

    • 6 acetate/transparent sheets (find at your nearest stationery shop)
    • sticky tape
    • ICE CREAM

    • 2L store-bought vanilla ice cream, softened
    • 3 mince pies, chopped
    • 100g almond flakes, toasted and chopped
    • 1 x 150g slab Peppermint Crisp chocolate, chopped
    • 1 x 150g slab good-quality white chocolate, chopped into shards
    • TO DECORATE

    • spun sugar (optional)
    • star-shaped cookies (optional)
    • edible gold stars (optional)

    Instructions

    1

    Prepare the cone moulds by bringing the top right corner of an acetate/transparent sheet down to the middle of the sheet. Keeping the corner in place with your finger, roll the sheet up to form a tight cone (make sure the tip is closed) and secure the roll in place with a small piece of sticky tape. Place the cone tip side down in a Champagne flute/tumbler filled with rice. Repeat with the remaining acetate/ transparent sheets.

    2

    For the ice cream, divide the vanilla ice cream among 3 bowls. Add the chopped mince pies and almond flakes to one of the bowls. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

    3

    Add the chopped Peppermint Crisp to the second bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.

    4

    Add the shards of white chocolate to the third bowl and mix well. Set aside.

    5

    Divide the mixture of the first bowl between 2 of the cones. Use the back of a spoon to level the tops. Repeat with the remaining bowls of ice cream, dividing the contents of each bowl between 2 cones and levelling the tops as you go. Transfer the cones to the freezer and freeze overnight.

    6

    To serve, remove the tape and unwrap the acetate/transparent sheets from the ice-cream cones. Invert the cones onto a large frozen cake stand or serving platter.

    7

    Decorate with the spun sugar, cookies and edible gold stars, if desired. Serve immediately.

    Imka Webb
    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com