SERVES 12 • PREP & FREEZE: 1¼ HR
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream or 2 cups nondairy whipped topping
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
½-gal block Neapolitan ice cream
About 12 imported Italian savoiardi ladyfingers (see Note), or other crisp 3½- to 4-in.-long cookies
2 Tbsp bottled chocolate syrup
¼ cup each chopped hazelnuts or almonds and fresh strawberries
1 Using plastic wrap, line a plate or cutting board large enough to freeze cake on.
2 Beat cream and sugar in a medium bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted.
3 Open top of ice cream carton, then sides and ends. Lift block of ice cream with a spatula onto lined plate. Spread sides with about ¾ cup whipped cream. Press cookies upright into cream.
4 Scrape remaining cream into a large, sturdy ziptop bag (see Tip). Cut tip off 1 corner and pipe cream on ice cream along both rows of cookies. Freeze at least 1 hour or, when hard, remove from plate, wrap airtight with plastic wrap and freeze up to 1 week.
5 To serve: Unwrap, place on serving platter and drizzle top with chocolate syrup. Scatter nuts and berries down middle. Using a long serrated knife, slice crosswise between cookies. Cut slices in half.
PER SERVING: 321 cal, 5 g pro, 38 g car, 1 g fiber, 18 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 62 mg chol, 95 mg sod
Tip: If desired, a star piping tip can be inserted into the cutoff corner of the ziptop bag before piping the cream around the top.
Planning tip: May be made through Step 4 up to 1 week ahead.
