Chocolate-Dipped Hokey Pokey Ice Cream Bars

Method

1. Set a paper-lined tin, the sifted baking soda and a whisk beside the stove. Put the sugar and golden syrup in a 16 cm deep saucepan, stir on low heat for 2 min until dissolved, then stop stirring, turn up to medium heat and boil for 3 min, until deep honey-amber (150 °C). Take it off the heat at once. Keep children out of the kitchen.

   Add in this stepWhite sugar (for the honeycomb) 60 gGolden syrup (or honey) 2 tbsp

   low heat→medium heat

2. Add the baking soda, whisk fast for just 3 to 5 seconds and, as it foams up, pour it straight into the 15×10 cm tin without spreading. Leave for 30 min to cool and harden. Never touch or taste the 150 °C syrup.

   Add in this stepBaking soda 1 tsp

3. Put the hardened honeycomb in a zip bag and bash it with a rolling pin: half into 5 mm pieces and half into fine crumbs, kept separate. In a cold bowl, whip the cream and vanilla for 3 min, to soft peaks that flop over at the tip.

   Add in this stepDouble or heavy cream (35% fat or more), very cold 200 mlVanilla extract 1 tsp

4. Fold in the condensed milk gently, then quickly fold in the 5 mm honeycomb pieces. Divide between ice-lolly moulds or paper cups (≈4 × 100 ml), tap them on the bench to knock out air bubbles and push in the sticks. If the sticks won't stand, freeze for 1 hour first, then insert them.

   Add in this stepSweetened condensed milk 135 g

5. Freeze for at least 6 h, until rock hard.

6. Just before serving, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water on low heat (the bowl must not touch the water), stirring for 3 min. Pour it into a narrow, tall glass and let it cool until it feels just warm, about 30 °C; too hot and the ice cream melts and slides off.

   Add in this stepDark or milk chocolate 100 gCoconut oil 3 tsp

   low heat

7. Dip the outside of the moulds in warm water for 10 seconds and the bars slide out easily. Dip each bar in the chocolate, or spoon it over, and immediately sprinkle with honeycomb crumbs before the shell sets, within about 30 seconds. Lay them on a paper-lined tray and return to the freezer for 10 minutes before serving.