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This Christmas recipe i s delicious after a feast of turkey, and it helps that it’s incredibly simple to put together — perfect if you just need something easy to serve. The sauce can be made in the morning, so all that needs to be done is to scoop the ice cream and pour the sauce on top, at the table.
I love serving these with candied orange peel, which you can pick up in many supermarkets and food halls. But if you want to make your own, it’s quite easy to do. You can make it now and it’ll still be perfect to serve on Christmas Day. To do so, first cut two large oranges into four vertical segments, then remove the pulp and the white pith from each segment, leaving just the orange skin. Cut this into quarter-inch-wide strips, and cook them in a large pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Then drain, rinse, and drain again. Next, bring 600g of sugar and 700ml of water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the peel and return to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the peel is very soft, for about 45 minutes. Drain, and toss the peel in 200g of sugar on a rimmed baking sheet, separating the strips. Lift the peel from the sugar and transfer to a sheet of foil and leave to stand until coating is dry — one to two days. If you fancy a change, this also works with lemons and limes.
When the moment comes, pop them on top for a final festive flourish. Merry Christmas!
Hot chocolate affogato with candied orange peel
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serve with: Ruby Port, £7 from Marks and Spencer
Ingredients
- 200ml cream
- 200g dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids), either nibs or chopped in pieces
- Zest of 1 orange
- 100ml strong espresso coffee
- 8 scoops good quality vanilla ice cream
- 8 strips of candied orange peel
Method
1. Place the cream, dark chocolate, espresso coffee and orange zest in a saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the cream and chocolate are melted together.
2. Put two scoops of vanilla ice cream in chilled glasses, and place on a saucer ready with a spoon and two strips of candied peel. Pour the chocolate and coffee sauce into a warmed jug.
3. Bring everything to the table and assemble the affogato in front of everyone — the ice cream will melt once you pour on the sauce, so it looks great. Pour the hot chocolate and espresso sauce over the ice cream and place two strips of candied orange peel on top.
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