Honeycomb and Passion Fruit and Honeycomb Ice Cream

This recipe gives 3 different scrummy treats. Honeycomb is undeniably a real baddie, especially if you choose to dip it in chocolate, but it tastes so wonderfully sweet and sticky and naughty and it is Christmas. It is quick and very easy to make and when you add the bicarbonate of soda to the melted sugar and golden syrup it’s nothing less than magic. Give it a try - any children around just love to see the bubbling molten honeycomb appear. It's really hot though, so keep them well away.

The passion fruit and honeycomb ice cream is pretty delicious too and, once the honeycomb is made, it’s quick to put together and doesn’t need an ice cream maker. Everyone loves it, so no excuse not to make either the tiny one bite variety or the full size version.

Ingredients

200g caster sugar

5 tbsp golden syrup

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Butter for greasing

Chocolate - optional

Method

Grease a baking tin.

Melt the sugar and golden syrup in a deep saucepan over a gentle heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Don’t let the mixture get too hot.

When the sugar is completely dissolved turn up the heat a little and allow the mixture to bubble away until it has turned amber in colour (140°- I use a Thermapen which is really easy)

Take the pan off the heat and quickly tip in the bicarbonate of soda and stir it in vigorously with a wooden spoon. The honeycomb will expand and foam.

When the bicarbonate is well mixed in, tip the honeycomb into the prepared tin. Leave for a couple of hours to harden. Then tip it out and break it into shards.

The saucepan will look a total disaster, but soaking it in very hot water will do the trick and remove any stray honeycomb.

If dipping in chocolate:

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. When the chocolate is completely melted dip the shards of honeycomb into the melted chocolate and then place the dipped honeycomb upright through the squares of a cake cooling rack or onto parchment paper to dry.

Passion fruit and honeycomb ice cream - serves 4 as a dessert

Ingredients

2 large egg yolks

35g caster sugar

Passion fruit purée (either 6 whole fruit or Waitrose purée 130ml)

200ml double cream, lightly whipped

85g crushed honeycomb, plus extra to decorate

Fresh fruit to finish (raspberries or blackberries are good)

4 clingfilm lined ramekins or silicone cupcake moulds

Method

First of all push the passion fruit pulp through a fine sieve or squeeze through muslin. You should finish with about 70ml passion fruit purée, but it doesn't need to be too exact.

Whip the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water for 5 minutes until thick and pale.

Carefully stir in the passion fruit purée, lightly whipped double cream and finally the crushed honeycomb.

Freeze.

To serve: unmold the ice creams and decorate with a couple of shards of honeycomb and fresh fruit.