This is an adult dessert caught up in a childhood memory. The spice syrup has fairly sophisticated flavours and the super-fine pineapple dice with slivers of lime leaf adds refined freshness, but there's no avoiding that it's on a stick. It works best with a flat-sided icy-pole mould; a wooden stick ups the nostalgia.
Ice
300g castor sugar
120ml water
500ml coconut cream
Juice of 3-4 large limes (100ml)
Spice syrup
8cm piece of young ginger, sliced
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
10 allspice berries
6 cloves
300g Dulce sugar (you can also use soft brown sugar)
100ml water
6 lime leaves
1 small pineapple
For the ice, add the sugar and water to a small saucepan, bring to a simmer then take off the heat and leave to cool.
In a mixing jug, combine the coconut cream, lime juice and the cooled sugar syrup and pour into icy-pole moulds. Freeze for six hours or overnight.
Syrup: crush the ginger, lemongrass, allspice and cloves in a mortar and pestle.
Tip crushed spices into a small saucepan, along with the sugar and water, stir and slowly bring to a simmer. Bring to the boil then immediately turn off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Strain through a fine sieve, pressing with a ladle or the back of a spoon to extract as much syrup as possible. Cool.
To serve: shred lime leaves as finely as possible. Peel and finely dice pineapple. Mix together. Unmould icy poles onto plates and spoon lime leaf and pineapple over and drizzle with spice syrup.
The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.
Sign up