About this Dish
New Zealand's most beloved ice cream flavour — vanilla ice cream studded with small, irregular lumps of golden honeycomb toffee. The contrast between the cold, creamy ice cream and the crunchy, caramel-sweet hokey pokey pieces is the point. A distinctly New Zealand flavour combination that became the country's most popular ice cream. Every dairy (corner shop) in New Zealand stocks it without exception.
IngredientsServes 4
🥛Full-fat milk, 300ml
🍦Heavy cream, 300ml
🥚Egg yolks, 4 large
🍬Caster sugar, 100g (for custard)
🍯Golden syrup, 3 tablespoons
🍬Caster sugar, 4 tablespoons (for honeycomb)
🫧Baking soda, 1.5 teaspoons
🌿Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
Method
1
Make the honeycomb first so it has time to cool and harden. Combine the 4 tablespoons of caster sugar and golden syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and let it bubble until it turns a deep amber colour — about 4 to 5 minutes.2
Remove the pan from the heat immediately and quickly whisk in the baking soda — it will foam up dramatically, which is exactly what you want. Pour it straight onto a lined baking tray, don't spread it, and leave it completely undisturbed for at least 1 hour until fully set and crisp.3
While the honeycomb sets, make the custard base. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar, and vanilla together until pale, then slowly pour the hot cream mixture in while whisking constantly.4
Pour the custard back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon — about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let it boil or it will curdle. Strain through a sieve into a clean bowl, cover the surface directly with cling film, and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 3 hours.5
Churn the cold custard in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a thick, soft-serve consistency. While it churns, break the set honeycomb into rough, irregular chunks ranging from pea-sized to thumbnail-sized — resist making them too uniform, the randomness is part of it.6
Transfer about a third of the churned ice cream into a freezer-safe container, scatter over a generous handful of honeycomb pieces, then repeat the layers, finishing with ice cream on top. Gently fold just two or three times with a spatula so the pieces are distributed but not crushed into dust.7
Press cling film directly onto the surface, seal the container, and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight until firm. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping — the honeycomb will have softened very slightly at the edges where it touches the ice cream, which is exactly the texture you are after.User Reviews
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