Violet Crumble Ice Cream for Australia Day!
By on January 25, 2010 4:33 PM
My first attempt at Violet Crumble was a dismal failure as the honeycomb refused to set and harden despite following the recipe to the letter. I poked and prodded at the gooey mass for a good half an hour before calling Stephen in desperation for advice.
'How long do I need to wait until this "whooshing cloud of aerated pale gold" turns hard'? I asked
'Anywhere between 20-30 minutes' he replied
'Well it's been that long and then some' I added in frustration 'and it's nothing but a billowing mass of goo'!
'Did you follow the recipe' ? he asked.
'Yes' I replied glibly.
'Was it Grandma's recipe'? he inquired.
'No' I replied 'I used whats-her-names recipe, you know the one with the convincing smile and TV series to match'.
'OK why don't you go ahead and make the ice cream and I'll make Grandma Jean's honeycomb tonight when I get home from work'?
'Ok' I muttered, my pride barely in tact.
'You make the honeycomb and I'll make the ice cream'.
Grandma Jeans Violet Crumble
This is Stephen's late Grandma Jean's foolproof honeycomb recipe. Grandma Jean was a proud Presbyterian, so I suspect her source of inspiration was the PWMU.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups of white sugar
1/3 cup of golden syrup
1/3 cup of organic honey
1/3 cup of water
2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
100g dark chocolate, melted
Method
1. Place the sugar, golden syrup, honey and water in a large, heavy based saucepan. Heat on a low until the sugar has dissolved, stirring all the time.
2. Turn up the heat until the mixture starts to bubble and boil try to keep the exact temperature for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and immediately pour the honeycomb into a lined baking dish.
4. Allow the honeycomb to cool and become hard and then gently break the honeycomb into pieces. I used the back of my ice cream scoop, but I'm sure a rolling pin would suffice. Drizzle the honeycomb with the melted dark chocolate and try not to eat it all as you want to stir some of it through the vanilla ice cream!
Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
600ml of full fat organic milk
600ml of organic cream, heavy
½ cup of raw caster sugar
3 organic egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
1. Put the milk and the cream in a large saucepan and gently heat. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks and the sugar in a large mixing bowl until thick and pale. Add the eggs and sugar to the hot milk and cream and whisk.
2. Continue to stir gently until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon or silicone spatula. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and when it is cool, place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Put the mixture in your ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturers instructions.
4. Stir through the broken pieces of Violet Crumble into the ice cream and then freeze until required.
'How long do I need to wait until this "whooshing cloud of aerated pale gold" turns hard'? I asked
'Anywhere between 20-30 minutes' he replied
'Well it's been that long and then some' I added in frustration 'and it's nothing but a billowing mass of goo'!
'Did you follow the recipe' ? he asked.
'Yes' I replied glibly.
'Was it Grandma's recipe'? he inquired.
'No' I replied 'I used whats-her-names recipe, you know the one with the convincing smile and TV series to match'.
'OK why don't you go ahead and make the ice cream and I'll make Grandma Jean's honeycomb tonight when I get home from work'?
'Ok' I muttered, my pride barely in tact.
'You make the honeycomb and I'll make the ice cream'.
Grandma Jeans Violet Crumble
This is Stephen's late Grandma Jean's foolproof honeycomb recipe. Grandma Jean was a proud Presbyterian, so I suspect her source of inspiration was the PWMU.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups of white sugar
1/3 cup of golden syrup
1/3 cup of organic honey
1/3 cup of water
2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
100g dark chocolate, melted
Method
1. Place the sugar, golden syrup, honey and water in a large, heavy based saucepan. Heat on a low until the sugar has dissolved, stirring all the time.
2. Turn up the heat until the mixture starts to bubble and boil try to keep the exact temperature for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and immediately pour the honeycomb into a lined baking dish.
4. Allow the honeycomb to cool and become hard and then gently break the honeycomb into pieces. I used the back of my ice cream scoop, but I'm sure a rolling pin would suffice. Drizzle the honeycomb with the melted dark chocolate and try not to eat it all as you want to stir some of it through the vanilla ice cream!
Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
600ml of full fat organic milk
600ml of organic cream, heavy
½ cup of raw caster sugar
3 organic egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
1. Put the milk and the cream in a large saucepan and gently heat. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks and the sugar in a large mixing bowl until thick and pale. Add the eggs and sugar to the hot milk and cream and whisk.
2. Continue to stir gently until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon or silicone spatula. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and when it is cool, place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Put the mixture in your ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturers instructions.
4. Stir through the broken pieces of Violet Crumble into the ice cream and then freeze until required.
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always listen to grandma! :-)
I am an Australia Day baby and I love/adore violet crumble.... if it was not for the fact of an impending snowfall tomorrow (ie the 26th) in Chicago I would be making this as we speak !!!! BTW - any ideas for a substitute for golden syrup? Hard to find if at all in Chicago .
Your ice cream looks divine. I could eat it right now for brunch! Violet Crumble was a childhood favorite of mine. I've never made honeycomb, because I didn't know it was that easy to make. Need to make it soon after my sugar rush with macarons.
This looks great. I wonder how the ice cream would turn out if Almond Milk was used...
Fantastic idea! Looks delicious!
Happy Australia Day! I miss Violet Crumbles....
wow! Yum! I Want!
That looks so scrumptious - well done for getting there in the end! :D My only experience making honeycomb was in grade 8 science class, and it had a weird chemical-y taste. In retrospect, I'm guessing that the pots and pans used hadn't been cleaned too well after the previous, non-edible experiment!
What a lovely dish. I have never heard of violet crumble. It looks like I've been missing out!
I have never heard of this ice cream... fabulous... and grandma knows best afterall!
Yes, we will take two pints of this ... immediately! Nanette - amazing photograph and I love that this is a family recipe! I am going to have to try it out .....
when I read the Violet Crumble Ice Cream title on your post, I expected a violet (as in flower) crumble (as in crumble cake); so when I started to read the post I was..confused...until I read the wikipedia explanation that is.
Now I want to try that violet crumble.
Happy Australia Day!
May I have some right now,please. !! Great post. Lovely pictures.
Thank you
SAUCY
aahh my mouth is watering!
Oh my this looks much too tasty.
Making this honeycomb recipe brought so many memories flooding back. The last time I made it I was actually with my Grandma Jean in her very humble kitchen (approx. 25 yrs ago).
Reading everyone's comments tonight made me smile wide. I'm sure Grandma Jean would be chuffed too at the response her recipe is getting. Enjoy! :)
I didn't know I was starving until I saw those pictures.
Yummo! This sounds fabulous - I haven't had an actual Violet Crumble for years.
Hi Love
did you know that it was my birthday yesterday? Well it was and husband broke the golden rule of 'nothing with an electric cord' and bought me an ice-cream maker for my birthday. I have my suspicion that it is a gift that keeps giving.
Anyway I don't have it yet because it hasn't arrived! But I look forward to shamelessly lifting all of your recipes from the blog and one day having an ice-cream challenge with you.
Oops I really shouldn't say things like that should I because I'll get your competitive juices all bubbling!
Anyway you have been the inspiration once again!
Happy Australia Day - hope you enjoyed it. Glad the recipe finally worked out. It's just beautiful.
Thank you El xx
How very thoughtful of him to get *you* an ice-cream machine for your birthday!
I look forward to an affogato or two the next time we're around at your place!
Neither have I and I must say that eating this brought back a flood of childhood memories!
I just assumed the whole world knew what 'Violet Crumble' was because in Australia they're one of our most popular chocolate bars. Thankfully Stephen suggested I provide the wiki link so to dispel any confusion about the 'violet' and the 'crumble'.
Thanks bella, although I must stay it was rather tricky trying to take photos of the honeycomb as I had to deal with several sneaky hands trying to grab a piece of the action!
If it's any consolation Hannah my first attempt at honeycomb was woeful! If you do have a go at making it, make sure you use a clean saucepan :D
Thanks Mardi!
I have no idea, but I suppose there is no harm in trying!
Joy it was also a childhood favourite of mine and I too had no idea how easy it was to make!
If you can't find any golden syrup in Chicago you could probably still make the honeycomb. Just omit the golden syrup and double the amount of honey.
Unfortunately Grandma is no longer with us Sarah, but thankfully we still have the memories and her wonderful recipes!
You have such a wonderful blog. I definitely need to try some of your recipes!
You are so the Ice Cream Goddess! What a fabulous husband, amazing honey comb and WOWEE ice cream. It is really beautiful, perfect gelato.
Oh thank you darling!