Tis the season for ice blocks – and if you have a stash of these in the freezer, you won’t even need to venture out to the dairy.

While here in Taranaki it feels as though the rain might never stop, the temperature at least is warm and conducive to enjoying one of these coconut chocolate ice blocks outside in between the downpours! There’s something fun about an ice block, perhaps a reminder of youth, and sunshine, bare feet and the beach. A good enough reason to get into the kitchen and whip up a batch of these chocolatey numbers. They’re simple to make and contain just a handful of ingredients so before you know it you’ll be dreaming of summer even if the rain clouds do linger longer than you’d like. 

Spice these up with the grated zest of an orange and a pinch of cinnamon. If you like things a little sweeter, then swap the dark chocolate out for milk chocolate. Hold back on the sugar if you do this and taste the mixture once the chocolate has melted. Then if you think it needs to be sweeter, add the sugar a teaspoon at a time until it’s just sweet enough.

COCONUT CHOCOLATE ICE BLOCKS

Makes 10

• 400ml tin coconut cream
• 250ml water
• 100g chocolate (I used 85% cocoa)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• pinch of salt

Put the coconut cream, water, chocolate and sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat very gently until the chocolate is melted and the sugar dissolved. Use a whisk to whisk the mixture so it comes together completely. Once melted, stir in the vanilla and then set aside to cool.

Once cool, pour into ice block moulds and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. Best enjoyed under the shade of a tree on a hot day.