Brought to you by American Express Rewards.
OK, I’ll confess something. My wallet is filled with cards. Bursting actually. When someone asks for my licence I take a few moments to uncover it as I sift through all the cards. While I might have become a master in collecting points on these cards when I shop and do my everyday living, I am definitely not the master when it comes to actually using these points.
So when American Express asked me to actually use my points to do some shopping and experience some… well experiences, I agreed and then had to figure out exactly how to do it. Turns out it was easy. And fun. The kind of fun you have when you’re spending other people’s money, or using gift vouchers, or using points that you’ve earned in the past while you’ve shopped. It doesn’t feel like you’re spending money, because you’re kinda not. It’s points.
I’ll be sharing more over the coming weeks, but today I wanted to share my first purchase. I’ve been eyeing off this cake stand {you know me, cake-lover and all!} for a while now, and I grabbed it with my points in the online David Jones store. I simply signed into my American Express account while the kids were eating dinner, shopped over on the David Jones site {it has a handy slider so you can see what your points are converted to as you shop} and selected ‘use points’ instead of take-my-money. Happy days.
One can never have too many cake stands, right? I knew exactly what I wanted to make to sit on it too, a no-bake Christmas cake. This recipe is so easy, and awesome for three reasons. One: You don’t have to turn on the hot oven on a steaming summer’s day to make dessert. Two: You can make it way ahead and avoid any stress on Christmas day. Three: It tastes awesome.
NO-BAKE CHRISTMAS ICE CREAM CAKE
INGREDIENTS
3L of ice cream {your favourite flavour, I used mint choc-chip}
2 large packets of Maltesers
200g white chocolate, melted
3 jaffas {I love the large Darrell Lea ones}
METHOD
♥ Leave your ice cream out on the kitchen bench for 15 minutes so it goes soft. Put a load of washing on, or go and check the mail.
♥ Place the soft ice cream into a small bowl. It’s a good idea to measure your cake stand, to make sure the cake is going to fit. I used mint choc-chip ice cream because I liked the green for Christmas, but choose your favourite flavour. Or try a few different flavours.
♥ Place in the fridge for at least an hour to set.
♥ Wet a tea towel with boiling hot water, and rub over the outside of the bowl {to release the ice cream from the sides of the bowl}. Turn your ice cream out onto your cake stand. Cover in Maltesers. If you’re working on a hot day, you might need to return the cake to the freezer so it doesn’t melt.
♥ Once completely covered, drizzle with the melted white chocolate and top with the three Jaffas and some cardboard leaves.
Have you ever used reward points? Tell me the best thing you’ve nabbed with them?
Looks gorgeous but I’d vote spearmint leaves instead of cardboard ones.
I have Qantas points which I am yet to cash in. Doesn’t seem worthwhile to use it to buy an everyday item particular when it seems like you need a million points just for a hamper or case of wine.
They don’t make them anymore. 🙁
I know they were considering bringing them back for a limited edition run. Let me know if you see them anywhere.
I guess points work when you’re going to buy that item anyway – like groceries, petrol etc… and then the points seem like a bonus. ?
Will check out my local supermarket and get back to you. They were there last time I got some but admittedly that was awhile ago now.
I do use the woolies points that convert to dollars off your shop which is nice.
My local IGA at Gumdale has spearmint leaves in the Black & Gold brand.
IGA for the win! Thank you!
This is awesome! Love this idea! Thanks so much!
I’m pretty sure you can still get mint leaves in black & gold or homebrand (you can in some SA stores anyway) They would just top it off perfectly!
Thanks for this!
Now that’s my kind of cake!
So. Much. Yum.
nice, nice nice, thanks for sharing this. And if you can get them, mint leaves lollies (Woolworths do still sell them, I bought some yesterday) instead of the cardboard ones may be nice too. Did you know Coles don’t sell Jaffas anymore either, I was not impressed. Not sure where you’d get them. You could use red skittles I spose or those wild rasberry jelly lollies. Hmmm mint ice cream, with maltesers, delish!
Found the spearmint leaves at woolies. It was there own brand. On special for $1.50