Honeycomb Lavender & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

1. Pre-freeze ice cream machine canister as needed in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Make a batch of honeycomb as per recipe below.
3. Heat milk in a medium saucepan until hot and steamy, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly while preparing other ingredients.
4. Mix cornflour and salt in a small bowl with 1 tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste, then gently whisk into warm milk.
5. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until thick and slightly pale.
6. Slowly pour or ladle warm milk over egg mixture while whisking continuously to avoid eggs scrambling. Return mixture to saucepan and continue to cook over low-medium heat while whisking until the mixture is thick like custard and coats the back of a spoon.
7. Pour custard into a large bowl & whisk in cream, then honey, then dried lavender.
8. Refrigerate to chill and infuse for 6-8 hours or overnight.
9. Strain mixture, pressing the lavender petals to extract maximum flavour, then churn in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.
10. When the ice cream is thick and creamy and almost ready, drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the ice cream while it is still churning. Allow 2-3 minutes of extra churning time for the chocolate to solidify into flecks of chocolate.
11. Enjoy your fresh ice cream immediately sprinkled with honeycomb or transfer to ice cream container to freeze. If freezing, layer the ice cream with small shards of honeycomb, and sprinkle a little on top (see Baking Notes).

Honeycomb

1. Place sugar, honey and golden syrup in a deep saucepan. The pan should be large enough to accommodate the hot bubbling honeycomb which will foam and rise significantly when bicarbonate added.
2. Allow sugar to dissolve completely on low heat, then increase the heat until mixture reaches hard crack stage (150°C using a candy thermometer).
3. Add the bicarb soda and stir vigorously to ensure evenly mixed. Honeycomb will foam and bubble, then transfer to a large, lined baking tray and allow to cool completely.
4. Store in an airtight container to maintain crispness until ready to use. To use, smash the honeycomb into shards using your hands, or a mallet if it’s very hard.
5. Only 50g of honeycomb is required for the ice cream, but it’s difficult to make a small batch. The excess can be served sprinkled on top or served with the ice cream. Alternatively, drizzle or coat with melted chocolate for an indulgent treat on its own.

Enjoy!