Frozen Panettone Ice Cream Pudding

Layers of panettone, vanilla ice cream and orange liqueur are frozen together, then finished with a crisp chocolate shell. An easy make-ahead Christmas dessert made for warm summer celebrations.

Christmas desserts do not always need to come warm from the oven. In an Australian summer, something cold waiting in the freezer can be exactly what the Christmas table needs.

Panettone works beautifully here, layered generously with vanilla ice cream and Cointreau before being frozen in a pudding-shaped tin. The orange liqueur settles into the soft, buttery bread while the ice cream fills the layers between it, giving you panettone and ice cream together in every slice.

A pour of chocolate shell over the frozen pudding finishes it simply, setting almost immediately as it runs down the sides. A little orange on top ties everything together and brings back the citrus running through the panettone and Cointreau.

Best of all, almost all the work is done ahead of time. Keep it tucked away in the freezer until Christmas dessert is called for.

Prep: 25 min · Serves: 8 · Cuisine: Australian · Category: Desserts

Ingredients

Frozen Panettone Ice Cream Pudding

• 1 × 900 g panettone
• 2 litres vanilla ice cream, softened slightly
• ½ cup (125 ml) Cointreau
• Chocolate Ice Magic, to finish
• Orange slices, to decorate, optional
• Icing sugar, for dusting, optional

Method

1. Line a standard Dolly Varden cake tin generously with cling film, leaving enough overhanging the edges to cover the pudding once assembled.
2. Cut the panettone horizontally into rounds. Trim the rounds as needed so they fit progressively into the tapered shape of the tin.
3. Place a panettone round into the narrow end of the prepared tin. Brush generously with some of the Cointreau.
4. Spoon over a layer of softened vanilla ice cream, spreading it to the edges and gently pressing it around the panettone to remove large air pockets.
5. Continue layering panettone, Cointreau and vanilla ice cream, using increasingly larger rounds of panettone as the tin widens.
6. Use the domed top of the panettone as the final layer at the widest end of the tin. Once inverted, this becomes the base of the pudding.
7. Fold the overhanging cling film over the top and freeze for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, until completely firm.
8. When ready to serve, uncover the pudding and invert it onto a serving plate. Remove the tin and carefully peel away the cling film.
9. Pour Chocolate Ice Magic over the top of the frozen pudding, allowing it to set and naturally run down the sides.
10. Decorate with orange slices and a light dusting of icing sugar, if using. Allow the pudding to stand for around 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Make Ahead Notes

The pudding can be completely assembled and frozen ahead of time. Keep it well covered in the freezer, then add the chocolate shell and optional orange garnish shortly before serving.

Storage Notes

Return any leftover pudding to the freezer promptly. Cover well to protect the ice cream and panettone from freezer odours and allow individual slices to soften briefly before serving.

Notes

The ice cream should be soft enough to spread easily but not melted. If it becomes runny while assembling, return it to the freezer briefly before continuing.

Brush the Cointreau across the panettone rather than pouring it heavily into one area. This distributes the orange flavour more evenly through each layer.

The pudding uses around 1.6 litres of ice cream, but buying a full 2 litre tub gives you room for differences in tin and panettone size.

A warm, dry knife makes cutting through the frozen pudding and chocolate shell easier. Wipe and warm the knife again between slices if needed.

The Grace Table Tip

Take the pudding from the freezer about 10 minutes before you intend to slice it. That short rest gives the ice cream time to soften slightly and lets the Cointreau-soaked panettone become tender while the pudding remains firm enough to hold its shape.