I’ve been to Greece over 25 times now and I’ve traveled every corner but there’s so much more to experience and to share with you. I am most familiar with northern Greece (where my family is from) and I especially love the food scene in Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki.

I always pay a visit to the Kourdisto Gourouni (Near Agia Sophia) and you can be sure I’ll order Armenovil. Basically it’s a semifreddo ice cream dessert that contains nuts, crumbled meringues and shaved chocolate. It’s served with warm chocolate sauce and more nuts.

I recall one of the waiters telling me the story about how it got its French name (Armenovil) but I can’t remember the details  – just the taste and how to make it. I’m sharing an easy no ice cream maker method to make your ice cream, how to make an almond brittle and I’m sharing a David Lebovitz recipe…the best chocolate sauce ever!

I’ve served this dessert at dinner parties and at a Greek Supper Club, it’s a big hit and check out the video to see how I serve this fabulous dessert.

Armenovil Ice Cream Dessert

(serves 8-10)

1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled meringue nests

1/2 cup shaved or finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup of toasted almonds, roughly pulsed in a food processor

2 cups whipping cream 

1 can of sweetened condensed milk (370ml)

1 Tbsp. of vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

Almond Brittle

1 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup almonds

The Best Chocolate Sauce

(courtesy of David Lebovitz)

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup (or glucose)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

1. In a large bowl, add the meringues, chocolate and almonds into a large bowl and mix, set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the whipping cream, condensed milk and vanilla and whip until you almost have stiff peaks. Add the corn syrup mix for another minute.
3. Like a load pan with plastic wrap (with extra wrap hanging over the pan so we can cover the top).
4. Empty your whipped cream mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and quickly but gently mix until well incorporated.
5. Pour into your plastic wrap-lined loaf pan, fold the overhanging plastic to cover the top of the mixture and gently pat down with your hands to even out. Place in the freezer overnight.
6. To make your almond brittle, Line a baking sheet with parchment, see aside. Add the sugar and salt in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You eventually will see your sugar melt and then turn a light shade of brown then darker. Once it turns to a copper colour, add the almonds, quickly stir in to coat and empty onto your baking sheet and quickly spread before it cools. Allow to cool completely then place in a bag and smash with a mallet into bite sized pieces or pulse in a food processor.
7. To make the chocolate sauce, to a medium sized pot add all the ingredients except the chocolate and whisk over medium heat. Whisk occasionally while simmering and once aboil, take off the heat add the chocolate and whisk in. Allow the chocolate sauce to stand uncovered for about 3 hours. You may store the chocolate sauce in a container in your fridge for up to 10 days.
8. To serve your Armenovil, take out of the freezer and unwrap plastic. Slice into portions, pour heated chocolate sauce over each portion then finish with almond brittle and serve.