Hokey Pokey Ice Cream

Method

1. Honeycomb happens in seconds, so set up first. Line a 15×10 cm tin (or baking tray) with baking paper and brush it lightly with oil. Sift the baking soda into a small dish so there are no lumps, and put it next to the stove with a whisk. Send children and pets out of the kitchen.

2. Put the sugar and golden syrup in a 16 cm deep saucepan (it must be deep: the mixture foams up 3 to 4 times) and stir on low heat for 2 min until the sugar has completely dissolved. Then stop stirring, turn up to medium heat and boil for 3 min, swirling the pan now and then, until it turns a deep honey-amber colour (150 °C on a thermometer). Take it off the heat at once. If it turns dark brown it will taste bitter, so start again.

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

   low heat→medium heat

3. Straight away add the baking soda and whisk fast for just 3 to 5 seconds; it will foam up dramatically, and whisking longer knocks the bubbles out. Immediately pour it into the tin and leave it exactly as it lands, without spreading. The syrup is 150 °C and causes serious burns, so never touch or taste it. Leave for 30 min to cool and harden; it is ready when it snaps cleanly.

   Add in this stepBaking soda 1 tsp

4. While it cools, put the cream, vanilla and salt in a cold bowl and whip with an electric mixer for 3 min, until soft-to-medium peaks that just flop over at the tip. Whipped too stiff, the cream turns buttery.

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

5. Add the condensed milk in two additions and fold it in gently with a spatula, lifting from the bottom, until smooth. Don't beat it or you'll lose the air.

   Add in this stepSweetened condensed milk 135 g

6. Put the hardened honeycomb in a zip bag and bash it with a rolling pin into roughly 1 cm pieces; a mix of sizes gives the best crunch. Quickly fold most of it into the cream (honeycomb melts in moisture, so don't wait), spread it in a 600 ml lidded container and scatter the remaining pieces on top. Any extra honeycomb keeps in an airtight jar as a snack.

7. Cover and freeze for at least 6 h. Take it out 5 minutes before serving so it scoops easily.