TRIPLE CHOCO-TASTIC NICE-CREAM POPSICLES WITH TOASTED ALMOND CHOCOLATE SHELL

Makes 6

For the chocolate nice cream:

250 ml (8½ fl oz) tinned coconut milk, chilled (thick part only)
2 large bananas, peeled and frozen • ½ tbsp unsweetened cacao powder or cocoa powder
2 tbsp maple syrup (optional) • 6 squares of dark chocolate

For the toasted almond chocolate shell:

250 g (9 oz/2 cups) whole almonds • 340 g (12 oz/2 cups) dark chocolate chips
100 g (4 oz/½ cup) coconut oil

These are the ultimate chocolate nice cream popsicles. The hard chocolate centre and crunchy nut coating take them to the next level. A must for chocolate lovers.

Make the nice cream by blitzing all the ingredients (except the chocolate squares) in a blender until smooth. Tip the mixture into the popsicle moulds and place a block of chocolate into the middle of each one. Slide in the popsicle sticks and freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

For the toasted almond chocolate shell first preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Scatter the almonds on a baking sheet, place in the oven and toast until golden. Remove and allow to cool. then chop the almonds into small pieces. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly, then mix in the chopped, toasted almonds.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the pops are fully frozen, run the moulds under warm water. Don’t use hot water or the pops will melt and won’t hold their shape! Firmly pull up on the sticks and carefully remove the pops from the mould. Dip the pops into the chocolate nut mix and arrange them in a single layer on the prepared tray.

Freeze for at least 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. To store, put each frozen pop between pieces of parchment paper and freeze for up to 3 weeks.

Top Tip: Yoghurt pots work really well here if you don’t have proper popsicle moulds.