Italian Panettone Ice Cream Cake

Panettone is a traditional Italian cake available from delis, especially around Christmas time. It is then very simple to make this Italian Panettone Ice Cream Cake.

Ingredients

200 (1 1/3 cups) raisins or other dried fruits
¼ cup (60ml) rum or brandy, more or less to taste
2 litres good quality vanilla ice cream
½ packet Vienna almonds
1 large panettone

Chocolate sauce

200g good quality dark chocolate, chopped
300mls cream

Instructions

Soak the raisins or dried fruit in rum or brandy overnight.
Take ice cream out of the freezer to soften. Roughly chop the Vienna almonds. Turn the panettone over and neatly slice 2cm off the bottom and set aside. Hollow out the interior of the rest of the panettone leaving a 2cm shell.
Mix together the softened ice cream, soaked dried fruit and almonds. Fill the hollowed-out panettone with this mixture. Replace the bottom. Wrap firmly in plastic wrap and freeze.
For the chocolate sauce: combine chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat or place microwave-proof bowl and microwave on medium for a minute or two. Stir until chocolate is melted.
Unwrap panettone set right side up and slice downwards into wedges with a hot knife. Serve with warm chocolate sauce.