Four Aussie ice-cream cakes that are anything but daggy

• Rachel Khoo's no-bake praline ice-cream cake

Ice-cream cake is summer's version of comfort eating. Daggy? Maybe. But so are all of us to varying degrees and an ice-cream cake is a dish made to be eaten rather applauded for its trendiness. So rather than fight it, embrace it. Grab a tub of vanilla ice-cream and say g'day to the Anzac, the roasted cherry Cherry Ripe, the toasted marshmallow-topped Neapolitan and the crystallised violet Violet Crumble. Given we'll be fighting the heat this long weekend, it just may be the perfect cooling and calming antidote we all need.

The Anzac

INGREDIENTS

1 litre good quality vanilla ice-cream, softened

3 to 4 tbsp malt syrup

dulche de leche to drizzle (optional)

Anzac base

1¼ cups plain flour, sifted

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup castor sugar

¾ cup desiccated coconut

150g unsalted butter, chopped

2 tbsp golden syrup

1½ tsp water

½ tsp bicarbonate soda

1 egg yolk

Macadamia cookie crumb crunch

¾ cup macadamias, roasted, roughly chopped

½ cup milk powder

¼ cup plain flour

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp castor sugar

pinch of salt

To coat

4 tbsp butter, melted

¼ cup milk powder

90g white chocolate, melted

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170C. For the cookie crumb crunch add the milk powder, flour, cornflour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the melted butter and toss to combine until small clusters form. Spread the clusters on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes or until just golden. Remove and allow to cool.

2. Once cooled add to a bowl with the coating ingredients and stir until the crumbs and clusters are coated. Spread out on a tray to allow the chocolate to harden and the crumbs are no longer sticky. Combine with the toasted macadamia and set aside.

3. For the Anzac biscuit base, place the flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine.

4. In a small saucepan place the golden syrup and butter and stir over low heat until the butter has melted and remove from the heat.

5. Mix the bicarbonate soda with 1½ tablespoons water and add to the golden syrup mixture. Pour into the dry ingredients with the egg yolk and mix together until fully combined.

6. Grease and line a high-sided (15cm) baking tray (20cm x 30cm). Press the mixture into the base, pressing down to flatten slightly, then place in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until just golden brown.

7. Add the softened ice-cream and malt syrup to a bowl and stir to combine. You only want to just mix the malt syrup through so it creates strands of caramel through the ice-cream.

8. Pour the ice-cream onto the Anzac biscuit base then tightly cover the tray with plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight or until ice-cream is firm.

9. To serve, gently remove from the baking tray, scatter the macadamia cookie crumb and drizzle with dulce de leche (if using). Slice into rectangles with a hot, wet knife and serve immediately.

Serves 8-12

Roasted-cherry ripe

INGREDIENTS

2.5 cups cherries

¼ cup castor sugar

1 litre good quality vanilla ice-cream, softened

¾ cup shredded coconut, toasted

Shaved dark chocolate, melted chocolate, coconut chips and fresh cherries to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the cherries and castor sugar in a roasting tray then place in the oven and roast for 40 minutes or until the cherries are wilted, tender and juicy.

2. Pit the cherries and reserve a few to serve, then place the remaining cherries, coconut and ice-cream in a blender and blitz to combine. Pour into a greased and lined 18cm round spring-form cake tin and freeze until firm, preferably overnight.

3. Gently turn out from the tin, drizzle over the melted chocolate then top with the shaved chocolate, roasted and fresh cherries and coconut chips and serve immediately.

Serves 8-12

Violet crumble

INGREDIENTS

1 litre good quality vanilla ice-cream, softened

1 cup chocolate-covered honeycomb, roughly chopped

3 tbsp crystallised violets

½ cup honeycomb, roughly chopped or crushed

Chocolate brownie base

125g unsalted butter, cubed

125g dark chocolate, chopped

3 eggs, lightly whisked

1½ cups castor sugar

¾ cup plain flour

¼ cup Dutch cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

METHOD

1. Combine the ice-cream and chopped chocolate-covered honeycomb in a bowl. Pour into a 20cm x 30cm tray lined with plastic wrap and place in the freezer to set, preferably overnight.

2. Remove from the freezer and allow to soften slightly before using a round 15cm cookie cutter to cut discs of ice-cream. Working quickly, repeat across the ice-cream slab then cover each round in plastic wrap and return to the freezer until ready to serve.

3. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Grease a 20cm x 30cm baking tray and line with baking paper.

4. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted. Stir in egg, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt until just combined. Pour into prepared tray and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Set aside to cool completely. Using a 15cm cookie cutter, cut circles from the slab of brownie.

5. Remove the ice-cream rounds from the freezer and working quickly, place a round of ice-cream onto each brownie circle. Top each with the crystallised violets and crushed honeycomb before serving immediately.

Serves 8-12

Neapolitan

INGREDIENTS

1 litre good quality chocolate ice-cream, softened

¾ cup 70 per cent cocoa dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1 litre good quality raspberry or strawberry gelato, softened

1 packet campfire marshmallows (jumbo oversized smores-style marshmallows)

Chocolate cookie crumb

100g plain flour

1 tsp cornflour

100g castor sugar

65g cocoa powder

85g melted butter

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180C. For the chocolate cookie crumb combine all ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to thoroughly combine. The mixture should form clusters quite quickly. Spread the clusters on a tray lined with baking paper and bake for 20 minutes. Set aside to harden and cool.

2. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm high-sided (15cm) baking tray with plastic wrap, ensuring there is plenty of overhang. Combine the chocolate ice-cream and dark chocolate chunks in a bowl until combined. Pour into the lined tray and place in the freezer to harden – at least a few hours.

3. Repeat with the raspberry gelato, spreading it over the chocolate layer. Return to the freezer to set.

4. Preheat the oven grill to high. Place the marshmallows onto a lightly greased sheet of baking paper. Place in the oven to toast for 1 to 2 minutes, watching regularly as they can turn from caramel to burnt in the blink of an eye. Remove and set aside.

5. Remove the ice-cream tray from the freezer and cover liberally with the cookie crumb. Carefully remove the toasted marshmallows from the sheet of baking paper using a spatula, and place on top of the cookie crumb (don't worry, they hold their shape very well during transit). Use a hot wet knife to cut into the ice-cream cake and serve immediately.

Serves 8-12

Note: This makes more cookie crumb than required for this recipe. Any leftovers will store covered in the fridge for one month.