Warm dark chocolate and walnut fondant with homemade cinnamon ice cream

The ultimate chocolate fondant recipe (and homemade ice cream, too!)

If you love chocolate fondants, you'll love these, as served at the Carnarvon Arms in Berkshire. If you're feeling adventurous, go the whole hog and make the homemade ice cream, too.

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 30 minutes for fondant 20 minutes for ice cream (both can be made up to 4 days in advance)

Cooking time:  12 minutes for fondant

Freezing time: 6 hours for ice cream

Special equipment: Ice cream machine 8 x 2" moulds

Ingredients: For the chocolate fondants: 175g/6oz dark chocolate 40g dark chocolate 165g unsalted butter 5 eggs 165g caster sugar 200g plain flour 140g finely chopped walnuts 8 walnut halves Soft unsalted butter to line moulds

For the ice cream: 500ml double cream 50ml milk 1 vanilla pod (split and scraped) 2 sticks cinnamon 100g caster sugar 140ml water 4 large egg yolks ½ tsp cinnamon powder Method: For the fondant: 1. Line moulds with melted butter and finely chopped walnuts. 2. Melt 175g of chocolate and butter over simmering water. 3. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until creamy and light. Fold in flour and melted chocolate mixture. 4. Place the mix in lined moulds, ¾ full. Place a piece of dark chocolate on the centre, and a half walnut on top. 5. Cook in oven 400ºF, gas mark 6, for 12 minutes. For the ice cream: 6. Bring the cream, vanilla pod, cinnamon sticks and cinnamon powder to the boil, and then turn off and leave to stand for 2 minutes. 7. Bring sugar and water to the boil and simmer for 4 minutes. 8. Pour sugar syrup over egg yolks, whisking all the time. Pour over the scalded cream, leave to cool. Remove cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod. 9. Pour into ice cream machine and churn until frozen.

To assemble the dish: 10. Carefully remove fondant from mould. Place in centre of bowl with a large scoop of cinnamon ice cream.