PEAR AND CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO

INGREDIENTS

800g vanilla ice cream
200g dark chocolate

For the pears:

2 firm large pears, peeled, coredand sliced
200ml Chardonnay
4 tbsp runny honey

For the fudge sauce:

100g light muscovado sugar
100g butter
100ml double cream

To decorate:

Pear crisps

METHOD

1. Grease and line a 1-litre loaf tin with cling film and set to one side. Melt half the dark chocolate and spread very thinly over a sheet of baking parchment. Allow to cool before popping in the fridge for an hour. Make curls with the remaining chocolate and set aside somewhere cool.

2. Place the sliced pears in a saucepan with the wine and honey and cook until tender. This should take about 10 minutes depending on how firm the pears are. Remove from the sweetened wine, set to one side and reduce the wine until syrupy. Pour over the pears and allow to cool.

3. To assemble, soften the ice cream slightly and spoon a third into the base of the tin. Arrange a layer of pears over the top and add shards of thin chocolate. Spoon another third of the ice cream over and arrange the remaining pears and chocolate shards over the top. Finish with the remaining ice cream, cover and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until needed.

4. Place all the fudge ingredients in a saucepan, gently heat until melted and mix until smooth. Bubble for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.

5. To serve, remove the semifreddo from the freezer 30 minutes ahead of time and turn out from the loaf tin. Remove the cling film, decorate with the chocolate curls and pear crisps. Once beginning to soften, slice and serve with the warm fudge sauce.