Semifreddo

It may seem peculiar to be making a frozen, ice cream dish in winter. Except that, for half the world, its currently summer and ice cream is totally apt. You people – I envy you. From September to December I love winter. I’m not much of a Halloween person so for pretty much this whole period I’m excited for Christmas: loving cosy nights in, Sunday night television and fires, hot water bottles and hot chocolate with far too many marshmallows. Then January hits. I’m not a January person. Not particularly a February one either. It’s back to school. Christmas is gone for another whole 12 months. It rains. The morning bus seems to take forever to arrive. I long for summer.
I long for May, June, July and August. My birthday! Picnics on the green, trips to the park after school on a Friday. That after-summer-exam feeling of pure relaxing. Exciting opportunities, the end of the school year. Six long weeks of summer holiday stretching ahead of me waiting to be filled in, booked up, travelled through. Ice cream. So, here’s to summer hurrying itself up and arriving soon. Please?

When my sister saw this, she said it looked like a giant fluffy pillow. And that’s just what it taste like – a soft spoonful of vanilla creaminess. What exactly is not to like? The vanilla creaminess is layered with crunchy hits of chocolate, all softened by a decadent chocolate sauce. Mmm. Once again the recipe comes from the classic Rachel Allen – although you could mix it up a bit by flavouring the vanilla more, I was thinking with amaretto, ginger, or citrus….

Hokey Pokey Ice Cream!

Or, as it should otherwise be known…a bowl of pure joy :)

Like a lot of bloggers around this time of year, the summer weather has not been perfect for turning on the oven and baking away like crazy (although I say that, but our British summer currently consists of plenty of showers!). Therefore, as I still like to while away the time in the kitchen: I turn to ice cream. And not just any ice-cream, hokey pokey ice cream!!

I don’t know if hokey-pokey goes by the same name in America or Australia, so basically it is honeycomb. Everyone knows honeycomb, right? Golden syrup+sugar=caramel. Mix caramel with baking soda, let harden – honeycomb! Pure sugar really, but so very good!

After the honeycomb is hardened, you simply mix it with whipped cream and condensed milk and freeze. No churning or stirring needed – just chuck it in a box in the freezer until you want it. And my, will you want it! You could eat this mixture by the un-frozen spoonful [in fact I almost did :) ]

The delightful recipe was from this Thane Prince book, one I have not cooked from before but plan to experiment with more ice creams and recipes from it over the summer if they all turn out like this one! So honeycomb lovers: MAKE this ice cream! And even if you’re not, this may convert people with its rich and creamy glory :)

Honeycomb Ice-cream, from Simply Good Food by Thane Prince
This ice-cream does not need stirrings as it freezes.
Use within ten days.

5tbsps white sugar
2tbsps golden syrup
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
600ml (1pint) whipping cream
1 large tin condensed milk

1) Start with the honeycomb. Place the sugar and syrup in a saucepan and cook over a low heat until the sugar melts. Now boil rapidly until the caramel is a deep gold in colour.

2) Remove from the heat and sift over the bicarbonate of soda. Stir the frothy mixture, then pour on to a lined baking sheet. Allow to cool, then break into smallish chunks.

3) Whip the cream until floppy, then beat in the condensed milk. Continue beating until the mixture is quite stiff. Fold in the pieces of honeycomb plus any crumbs, then scrape into a freezer-proof bowl/box, and freeze for about 8 hours or overnight.