Salted popcorn ice cream with toffee sauce

I know, it might feel a bit out of place to post about ice cream in November when it's getting cold outside but then you can make your ice cream winter proof by adding a warm sauce or fruit compote. In this case it's a toffee sauce that goes well with the popcorn flavour and adds some extra texture to it. And as I love salted caramel I figured I might as well do a salted popcorn flavour.
I have a really strong memory about salted popcorn. It wasn't very popular or even common when I grew up in Germany as we seemed to favor the sweet variety. I went to stay with a friend in Berlin when I was a teenager and we went to an ex G.I. cinema. Not sure what film we went to see but it was English with subtitles. Unusual in Germany where films are generally dubbed. So we went in and sat down and I tucked in to my popcorn and almost choked as I expected sweet and got salty. What a shock! Like when you expect water and get lemonade. Or wine and get vinegar. That kind of thing. Times have changed and I have grown up to like salted popcorn, so much so that I would chose it over sweet anytime now.

SALTED POPCORN ICE CREAM WITH TOFFEE SAUCE

For the ice cream
300ml double cream
200ml semi-skimmed milk
couple of handfuls of popcorn
good punch of salt
4-5 tbsp sugar

Bring the milk and cream to the boil. Add the popcorn and simmer for about 5-10 minutes to infuse the milk-cream-mixture. Let stand to cool, strain with a sieve and chill the mixture in the fridge. Place in the ice cream maker for about 10-15 minutes or according to instructions for your machine.

For the toffee sauce
75g light brown sugar
50g butter
3tbsp double cream

In a pan heat all the ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spatula. When they are all blended to a sauce take off the heat and it's ready for serving.

* Heston Blumenthal had been doing a salted caramel popcorn ice cream on his 'feasts' show on Channel 4. It's available to buy ready-made in Waitrose so if you want to enjoy it on your comfortable couch without having to get up first to make it that's your best option.