Toasted Nut Cassata

I first made this nearly thirty years ago for an Italian dinner party, I was to take the dessert that night and it was a great success. I just found it again when I was browsing my old cook books and decided to post for safe keeping. This one comes from Australian Woman's Weekly Dinner Party Cookbook. Freezing is not included in preparation time.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  mixed glace fruit, chopped
• 2  tablespoons brandy
• 300  ml  cream
• 2  teaspoons caster sugar
• 125  g dark chocolate
• 15  g butter
• 2  liters vanilla ice cream
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  teaspoons  cocoa
• 60  g  almonds, slivered
• 60  g  coconut biscuits
• 300  ml  cream, extra

Directions

1. Line base of 20cm (8") springform pan with aluminium foil.
2. Combine glace fruit and brandy, mix well, let stand 10 minutes.
3. Whip cream and sugar until thick, fold in fruit and brandy, spread cream mixture over base of springform pan, freeze.
4. Put chopped chocolate and butter in top of double saucepan, stir over gently-simmering water until melted; cool.
5. Combine half the softened ice-cream and vanilla, add approximately half a cup of this ice-cream to melted chocolate mixture, mix well and add chocolate mixture to ice-cream, mix well; the melted chocolate gives the ice-cream a "chocolate chip" texture.
6. Stir in sifted cocoa, mix well; spread chocolate ice-cream over cream layer; freeze.
7. Spread remaining half-softened ice-cream over chocolate layer.
8. Place almonds in moderate oven 5 minutes or until light golden brown; crush coconut biscuits lightly; sprinkle combined biscuits crumbs and almonds over top of cassata; press crumbs and almonds lightly into ice-cream; freeze until firm.
9. Pipe extra whipped cream decoratively around top.