I love how so many things in life are created from a progression of experiments. This ice cream is no exception and in fact the inspiration for this particular ice cream came from a completely mundane task, walking up the stairs! (The smell of burnt honey drifted into my subconscious and tickled my nostrils.)

I wanted to include an ice cream in my previous post – the duo of avo starter, but somehow, it just didn’t work when paired with the other components. Although it tasted quite amazing.

I was still fixated on the idea of a savoury ice cream and was racking my brains, trying to think of dishes to include it in, while walking up the stairs, when this ice cream shoved all thoughts aside and demanded to be created.

So, on a whim, in the early hours of a weekday morning, when it was still dark outside and the world was sleeping – I set my vision free.

In my opinion, avo was born to become ice cream. These flavours compliment each other so well and the burnt honey adds a subtle dimension that lifts the vanilla custard to another level. It is a creamy, smooth ice cream with nutty caramel tones that has to be tasted to be understood.

This is my second entry in the “More than just guacamole!” Afrikado Blogger Challenge, held by ZZ2 Farming

Avo, Vanilla and Burnt Honey Ice Cream

(Makes about 1 litre)

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups full cream milk (I used lactose free and it worked perfectly)
• 2 vanilla pods, slit down the middle to scrape out the seeds
• 1/4 cup Xylitol (sugar substitute)
• 1 1/2 cups double thick cream
• Flesh of 2 ripe avocados
• 4 Tbs honey and extra for the caramelized honey garnish

Directions:

• Add eggs, milk, vanilla pods and seeds, and Xylitol to a pan on the stove
• Whisk over low heat until it just forms a loose custard – be careful not to split or curdle. Gently does it
• Strain mixture to remove vanilla pods
• Add double cream and blend in a mixer
• Add avos and blend. The mixture should thicken instantly
• Heat honey in a pan on the stove, over low heat, until it just changes colour, becomes thick and sticky and you can smell it becoming slightly burnt
• Let it cool for a while
• Add the ice cream mixture to the honey and stir to combine. You may need to heat gently because the honey will become hard very quickly
• Freeze the ice cream for a minimum of 4 hours
• To make the caramelized honey garnish; heat some honey on the stove until it changes colour and becomes sticky and thick. Drizzle to form a decorative shape on a tin foil covered tray. It will harden as it cools. Gently peel off from the tin foil and decorate your ice cream

*If you have Candida, honey should not be consumed in large quantities.