Coffee mushroom dessert

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200/400/Gas 6.

2. To make the stalks of the mushrooms, take two large and two small dariole mounds and brush the inside of each mould with a little olive oil and then line them with cling film. Fill with the slightly softened ice cream and re-freeze until set hard again.

3. To make the biscuits, cream the butter and caster sugar. Then add one egg white at a time very careful not to overbeat the mixture. Gently fold in the flour.

4. Make a plastic template by cutting two differently-sized circles from each of two lids of ice cream containers. Place the templates on a non-stick baking tray leaving ample space between to allow the mixture to spread. Spread the biscuit mixture thinly on the circles.

5. Bake the biscuits in the pre-heated oven for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove, leave for 15 seconds to firm up slightly and, working quickly, press two of the biscuits one after the other over a small greased upturned dariole mould and two over a slightly larger greased upturned mould, forming four mushroom cap shapes in all. Leave to cool completely.

6. Dissolve together the sugar and double cream over a gentle heat to make a syrup. Stir in the coffee granules. Leave to cool completely.

7. To serve, scatter the grated chocolate on a large oval platter. Spoon some of the coffee sauce around the chocolate and dust with a little icing sugar to give the effect of moss! Unmould the ice cream by first placing your hands around the mould to warm them. The clingfilm and the ice cream should come out easily. Stand the ice cream stalks upright on the grated chocolate.

8. Place the small caps on the small stalks and the large caps on the large stalks to form the mushroom caps. Using a small sieve, dust the caps heavily with cocoa powder and then a little icing sugar. Serve at once.