Double Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches with Caramelised Pears

Instructions

1. Ice cream:
2. Beat egg yolks and sugar until a light lemony yellow colour.
3. Add coconut milk and cream and beat until the mixture is well combined.
4. Transfer to a pot and over medium heat, gently stir the mixture until you see it steaming slightly.
5. Slowly stir in the melted chocolate, until fully incorporated.
6. Continue to stir the mixture until it’s just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Its consistency will be very much like a smooth, satiny liquid, with a slightly unctuous mouth-feel. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
7. Remove from heat, place on a cold surface. Chill in the fridge.
8. Once the mixture is cold, prepare in an ice cream maker or pour into a container for freezing.
9. If you’re not using an ice cream maker, you will need to remove the container from the freezer once the ice cream has just begun to harden and stir it to break up the ice crystals. Repeat the process twice.
10. I set my ice cream in a 20 x 20cm shallow cake tin.
11. Almond praline crackers:
12. Arrange the crackers on a baking sheet.
13. In a pan or pot, bring the sugar, water and butter to the boil and then simmer until the mixture turns a medium-brown colour. This will take about 12 minutes. Add in the almonds and mix well. Remove from the heat. If you experience what I call sugar shock (where the sugar somehow reverts to its granular state), just add a bit more water and stir vigorously until the mixture becomes syrupy again.
14. Work quickly to spoon a teaspoon of the mixture onto each cracker, using the back of the teaspoon to spread it out.
15. Leave aside to harden.
16. Caramelised pears:
17. Add all ingredients to a pan and cook on a medium heat until the pears are soft and the syrup a medium-brown colour.
18. Set aside to cool.
19. To assemble:
20. Use a cream cracker to mark cutting guides onto the ice cream and portion out the squares.
21. For each sandwich, place an ice cream square and a slice of caramelised pear between two almond praline crackers.
22. Serve immediately.