Australian
Gluten freeHokey pokey ice cream
Honeycomb toffee ice cream
New Zealand's favourite ice cream: creamy no-churn vanilla studded with crunchy golden honeycomb toffee (freeze 6 hours)
Hokey pokey is what New Zealanders call honeycomb toffee, and vanilla ice cream full of crunchy little nuggets of it has been the country's best-loved flavour since the mid-twentieth century; it's scooped into cones at dairies and beaches from Auckland to Invercargill. The honeycomb is a bubbling golden syrup toffee that foams up when bicarbonate of soda goes in and sets glassy and light. Folded through a rich no-churn vanilla base, it stays crunchy at first and slowly turns chewy and toffee-like. Chef's tip: don't stir the sugar once it starts to melt; swirl the pan instead, or it will crystallise and turn grainy.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 10
- Per serving
- 480 kcal
Ingredients
For the hokey pokey
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz golden syrup
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of sodasifted
For the ice cream
- 2 ½ cups double creamcold
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk1 tin, chilled
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Line a 20 cm square tin with greased baking paper. Have 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda measured out and a whisk ready beside the stove.
Step 2: Put 5 ½ oz caster sugar and 2 ⅛ oz golden syrup in a deep saucepan (the toffee foams to several times its volume). Heat over a low heat, swirling the pan without stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
5 minStep 3: Turn the heat to medium and let it bubble, swirling now and then, for 3–4 minutes, until it turns a deep amber, like maple syrup, and smells of caramel (300°F on a thermometer). Watch closely: it burns quickly.
4 minStep 4: Take off the heat, tip in the bicarb and whisk for 5 seconds only. It will foam up dramatically. Pour at once into the tin and don't spread it, or you'll knock out the bubbles. Leave for 1 hour to set hard.
60 minStep 5: Whip 2 ½ cups double cream, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 pinch salt with an electric whisk until thick and holding soft peaks, 3–4 minutes.
4 minStep 6: Break the hokey pokey into small pieces, about 1 cm, and fold two-thirds through the cream. A common mistake is adding it to the base too early or using it all at once: honeycomb draws in moisture and melts into sticky streaks, so fold it in just before freezing and keep the rest for the top.
2 minStep 7: Spread into a 1.5-litre freezer container, scatter with the remaining pieces, cover and freeze for at least 6 hours, until firm.
360 minStep 8: Soften in the fridge for 10 minutes before scooping. Serve in cones or bowls. It keeps for a month in the freezer.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hokey pokey ice cream take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
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