Honeycomb Crunch Ice Cream

This recipe was created for 'The Unofficial Poldark Cookbook,' my recent project based on the BBC-produced show that takes place during the Georgian period in England (1714-1830). Right from the start, I knew I wanted to include ice cream in the book, and honey was the perfect flavor to incorporate, considering that during the 18th century in England and other countries, honey was still widely used as a sweetener for foods. Sugar was considered a luxury item for most, especially for the poor. In the lower classes, honey was harvested by local farmers. Therefore there was less of an expense and easy to access. Unlike today, honey was also used for medicinal purposes, such as treating throat ailments.

The honey-kissed flavor of this ice cream is delicious, but I wanted to add a texture to the recipe. After many experiments with various ingredients that added crunch (some additions were crunchier than others - surprised my teeth are still intact), I came across a technique for making honeycomb. This was the component I was looking for. This added a light texture to the ice cream and infused more honey flavor, especially after a few days when the honeycomb turned into beautiful swirls of honey. If you are wondering, ice cream has been made in different forms for hundreds of centuries. The icy treat appeared in Europe in the thirteenth century and finally made its way to England by the late seventeenth century, probably in the form of a sorbet. My post, "We All Scream for Ice Cream," will give you a more comprehensive view of the frosty delight, and you may be surprised to hear how long we have been enjoying ice cream.