Normally I would expect that a franken-dessert would be more appropriate for Halloween, but not this one. This is really a combination of three desserts; the ingredients of an icebox cake, the look of a yule log (bûche de noël), and the flavours of spumoni (an Italian gelato dessert).

If you’re looking for an easy dessert that will wow your holiday guests then don’t look any further - the most complicated step in this recipe is whipping the cream! The pistachio cream gives the log a beautiful green hue and a delicious nuttiness which contrasts with the slight sourness of the amarena cherries. While these two ingredients may not seem easy to find, any well-stocked Italian grocery store would carry them. I’m partial to the Fabbri brand of cherries (not only because of their iconic jar!), but keep an eye out for Toschi if you can’t find them. It is worth seeking out the real thing, trust me.

250ml // 1 cup Whipping cream, well chilled
8g // 1 tbsp Powdered sugar
200g // 1/2 cup Pistachio cream
Approximately 100g // 20 Chocolate wafer cookies
20 Amarena cherries, halved, plus more for garnish
30ml // 2 tbsp Amarena cherry syrup (plus extra for garnish)
100g // Dark Chocolate, for decoration (optional)

Line a loaf dish with two pieces of plastic wrap so the entire base is covered, leaving an overhang on all four sides of the dish. Optionally, line a separate shallow circular container with plastic wrap as well. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attached or a large bowl if you are going to beat by hand, add cold cream and beat on medium until it starts forming soft peaks. While still whisking sprinkle in powdered sugar until incorporated. Whip to firm peaks, then slowly whisk in pistachio cream.

Spoon half of the pistachio whipped cream into the prepared dish. Stand wafer cookies up in the cream, trying to avoid pushing them all the way to the bottom. Fill the container with cookies, using more if necessary. 

Sprinkle cherries over the cookies, gently pushing them between the cookies where necessary. Drizzle the syrup over the cookies to give them more of a cherry hit. 

Cover the cookies with the rest of the cream and fold the plastic wrap over the top. 

Refrigerate for at least 24h.

Prepare a 12 inch square of parchment paper.

Roughly chop the dark chocolate and melt 2/3s in a bain-marie until just melted. Remove from heat and add the last 1/3, stirring vigorously until it is completely melted.

Spoon the melted chocolate on top of the parchment paper and spread it out into a thin layer. Roll the paper up into a tight spiral and put it in the fridge to harden, approximately an hour. Once the chocolate is hardened, unravel the paper over a cutting board (this will be messy!), breaking the chocolate shards into pieces. 

Remove the cake from the fridge, and unwrap the plastic wrap. Take your serving plate, place it on top of the loaf dish, and flip it out. Gently peel away the plastic wrap, and smooth out the two short ends of the cake (or the whole thing if you’re skipping the chocolate bark.) Using a fork, gently scrape a spiral in the end of the log. Place the chocolate shards around the outside of the log, and garnish with extra cherries. 

To serve, cut on the diagonal to show the layers of wafers.