Double desserts: Peppermint crisp tart ice cream sandwiches

The sun is rising later in the mornings and setting earlier in the evenings which means that chilly autumn is rearing it's head. Ever the optimist, I am holding on to summer for as long as possible! These ice cream sandwiches are one of my favourite flavours of South African summer. Inspired by a 'local 'n lekker' dessert, peppermint crisp tart, it is made with only 4 ingredients (like the pudding which inspired it) but is a much better suitor for our steamy climate. It's so easy you can rope (read: trick) the kids in to making them (while you read a book or pour a glass of wine) and the little sarmies are great for serving after a lazy weekend  braai.

Fusing two desserts together, in this case the tart and ice cream sandwich, is one of the trendiest things to do at the moment. Banana split cheesecake, apple crumble cupcakes or smores brownies (am I making you hungry yet), you get the idea. Why? Because if you have a sweet tooth and have ever had to choose between two desserts, you'll know that it's a torturous nightmare. Two desserts in one. Problem solved! Because too much of a sweet thing is never enough! 

Photograph by Christelle Botha for Sanlam Reality

Peppermint crisp tart ice cream sandwiches

(serves 6)

1 packet (250g) coconut biscuits

250ml cream

1/2 (400g) tin caramel

1 peppermint crisp bar (80g), crumbled

Beat the cream until stiff then fold in the caramel and peppermint crisp, leaving a few swirls. Freeze the mixture in a baking dish so it’s about 2cm thick, until firm.

Once firm, arrange the tennis biscuits on top and cut the ice cream into squares. Remove each square, sandwiching another tennis biscuit on the bottom of each ice cream slice. Arrange on a baking tray and freeze again until firm. 

Passion fruit jellies

Most South Africans call them granadillas but how you can choose that over a beautiful name like 'passion fruit' is lost on me. The passion fruit is my absolute favourite. It's wrinkly leathery skin probably makes it one of the ugliest fruits but slice it open and the sticky sunshine-yellow flesh oozes out, begging to be married with flavours like coconut milk and pineapple. It's the flavour of summer and instantly transports me to a balmy tropical island. This passion fruit jelly is the best way to enjoy the fruit; it's simple enough to make the most of the fragrant tartness and highlight the beautiful black flecks of seeds without keeping you in the kitchen too long on a beautiful day. 

Passionfruit jellies
Serves 4

16 passionfruit, plus a few extra, for garnish
30ml passionfruit juice, plus extra if needed
4 sheets of leaf gelatine
150g castor sugar

Slice the passionfruit in half and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Strain the mixture, pressing to extract all the juices and reserve the seeds. Measure the pulp and add enough passionfruit juice to make 200ml. 
Place the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft. 
Heat the sugar and 150ml water over low heat until dissolved then simmer for a few minutes. Squeeze the water from the gelatine and add to the hot sugar syrup. Stir until completely dissolved then stir in the passion fruit mixture. Place a few of the passion fruit seeds in the bottom of four jelly moulds then pour in the passionfruit mixture. You could also set the jelly straight into the passion fruit shells. Refrigerate until set. 
To unmould, briefly dip into boiling water. Serve with an extra drizzle of passionfruit pulp.