Bourbon Ice Cream with Chocolate-Covered Honeycomb

Photo: Playa Provisions

From: Pastry chef Kristin Feuer, Small Batch/Playa Provisions, Playa Del Rey, CA. Yield: 5 quarts spun ice cream.

Bourbon Ice Cream:
7¼ cups milk
5½ cups cream
½ tsp. salt
½ cup corn syrup
¼ cup milk powder
500 g egg yolks
625 g sugar
3½ cups good-quality bourbon
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate-Covered Honeycomb:
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. baking soda
2 lb. good-quality dark chocolate, melted

For bourbon ice cream: In large stainless steel pot, place milk, cream, salt, corn syrup and milk powder, whisking to dissolve. Heat until bubbling at the edges. While mixture is bubbling, whisk together egg yolks and sugar to a 2-second ribbon. Temper hot milk mixture into yolks/sugar and return to pot on medium heat. Stir mixture constantly with a rubber spatula. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Cook until thick a la nappe, or 175°F. Once thick, remove pot from heat and whisk in bourbon and vanilla. Pass through a chinois.

Cool mixture and let it chill before spinning in an ice cream machine.

For chocolate-covered honeycomb: Cook sugar corn syrup and vinegar to 310°F in a large stainless steep pot (mixture will bubble up enormously). Sift baking soda, then gently but thoroughly whisk in. Pour onto a Silpat and let cool completely undisturbed so candy does not collapse before it is set. When cool, break or chop into bite-sized pieces and coat in dark chocolate. Freeze to set and then fold into freshly spun bourbon ice cream.