Mint choc chip sandwich

Makes 8-1

I used to love ice-cream wafers as a kid, although at that age I was oblivious to the dodgy quality of the ingredients. This is a kind of cross between a choc ice and one of those ice-cream wafers – and it makes a fun dessert for kids and grown-ups. You could also cut them into small pieces and pierce them with a cocktail stick for a party dessert.

450ml milk
6 egg yolks
150g caster sugar
400ml Jersey or clotted cream or a mixture
600g dark chocolate
A couple of handfuls of mint leaves

Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together, then pour the milk on and whisk well. Return to the pan on a low heat and cook for about five minutes, stirring constantly using a whisk (don't let it boil). Remove from the heat, whisk in the cream and leave to cool. Churn four-fifths of the mixture in an ice-cream machine.

Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to the boil and blanch the mint leaves for 15 seconds, then drain and refresh under the cold tap. Squeeze out any excess water then blend the leaves in a liquidiser with the extra fifth of the cream mixture. When the main mixture begins to freeze in the machine, add the mint mixture and continue churning. Chop half of the chocolate into small pieces and add to the ice-cream mixture. Remove from the machine and transfer to a 2-3cm-deep tray lined with clingfilm or greaseproof paper, cover with clingfilm and place in the freezer for a couple of hours or so until the mixture is firm.

Melt the rest of the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Line a tray with greaseproof or silicone paper and pour and spread the chocolate to about ¼cm thick and leave to set.

When the ice-cream is firm, cut it into 5in x 2in-sized slabs, squares or rectangles and return to the freezer. Dip a knife into boiling water, dry it with a tea towel and cut the chocolate in to the same sized pieces as the ice-cream. Sandwich them together and return to the freezer until required.