Honeycomb and chocolate ice cream terrine

Serves 10-12 Desserts and puddings

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Method

First make the chocolate stars. Line a 10x20cm loaf tin with cling film. Place the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted, warming gently if required. Add the amaretto, if using. Pour into the prepared tin and leave to cool, then freeze for 4 hours until really firm.

Turn the chocolate out and remove the cling film. Using a small, star-shaped cutter, stamp out 18 stars. Reserve the off-cuts. Taking 3 stars at a time, gently place one on top of the other and freeze until required.

To make the honeycomb, oil a large baking sheet. Place the sugar and honey in a small saucepan and heat very gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and boil the syrup until it starts to turn golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda with a wooden spoon until it foams. Tip onto the prepared tray and leave to cool and set hard, about 30 minutes. Using the end of a rolling pin, break the honeycomb into small chunks. Reserve 50g for decoration and the rest for the ice cream.

Line the same loaf tin with baking paper, and oil well. Place the egg yolks, sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod into a bowl and set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Using an electric mixer, whisk for 3-4 minutes until it has thickened and doubled in volume.

Whisk the cream and crème fraîche in a separate bowl until stiff and carefully fold into the egg mixture. Divide the mixture evenly between 2 bowls and stir half the honeycomb into half the ice cream mixture and spoon into the prepared tin. Freeze for 1 hour until firm. Arrange the chocolate star columns as closely together as you can down the centre of the tin and freeze for 1 hour.

Stir the remaining honeycomb into the remaining ice cream and pour into the tin. Smooth the top and cover with cling film. Freeze overnight.

Place the remaining chocolate ganache in a pan and heat gently until melted. Turn the terrine out onto a chilled serving dish and drizzle the chocolate sauce over the top and sides and chill for a further 1 hour. Remove from the freezer, top with the reserved honeycomb and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Serve in slices.