Nuts and toffee will quickly jazz up bought vanilla ice-cream into something special.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup blanched almonds
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 litre good quality vanilla ice cream

Method

1. Bake the almonds at 180°C for 10 minutes, or until they are just lightly toasted. Cool a little and then chop coarsely. Sprinkle the almonds on a non-stick baking tray, keeping them close together.
2. Stir the sugar and water together in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring, and then bring to the boil; boil rapidly until the mixture turns a golden toffee colour.
3. Pour the toffee immediately over the almonds and leave until set. When cold, break into pieces, then chop finely in a food processor, or by hand with a heavy knife.
4. Turn the ice cream out into a bowl and mash to soften a little. Mix in the praline and then return to the original container and re-freeze for at least 4 hours before using