Ingredients
• Pandoro 1, 700g
• Ricotta 250g
• Cream 125ml
• Candied orange peel 1/4 cup
• Flaked almonds 1/2 cup,
• Toasted and chopped cherries 250g, saving some for the top
• Vanilla ice cream 1 L
• Nutella 250g
For the candied orange:
• 3 oranges
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup water
Instructions
• Take the ice cream out the freezer to soften.
• Slice off 2cm from the base of the Pandoro, with a serrated knife. Using a small plate as a guide, cut a round disk of Pandoro as a lid for the finished cake. Using the same plate, cut into the cake and hollow out the centre – to make space for the ice cream. Place the cake upside down on a lined baking tray for 30 minutes.
• Whip the cream and ricotta together, add the candied orange peel, flaked almonds and half the cherries, chopped up.
• Using a mixer, whip the ricotta mixture into the vanilla ice cream.
• Take the Pandoro shell out of the freezer and fill it with the ice cream. Use the cake disk as a seal and freeze overnight. Take the cake out the freezer and turn it over, 10 minutes before serving. Heat the Nutella slightly, pour it over the top of the cake and decorate with cherries.
For the candied oranges:
• Rinse the oranges.
• Cut the top and bottom off each orange and score the skin into quarters.
• Remove the skin (peel and pith, the white part), and cut the skin into strips about ¼” wide. Wrap the oranges in plastic wrap to store for other use.
• Place the strips of peel in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
• Set on the stove on high heat and bring to a boil. Drain the water from the peels and repeat this process twice more.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and ¾ cup water.
• Pour the sugar water into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture cook for 8-9 minutes at a constant simmer.
• Add the peel and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, OR just until the peels are translucent, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain the simmer. Avoid stirring, as this will cause crystallizing. If necessary, swirl the pan to make sure that all the peels get covered with the syrup.
• Drain any remaining syrup from the peels and set aside for other use (perhaps tea?!) There will probably be only a tablespoon or two of syrup left. Spread the peels out on a drying rack and leave to dry for 4-5 hours. Store in an airtight container.