Sweet Corn Ice Cream Sandwich

STEP 1: INFUSE AND CHURN THE CORN HUSK ICE CREAM

Strip the husks from 4-5 cobs and reserve the kernels for the caramel. Rinse the husks, pat dry, and char or toast them - over a flame, under a hot grill, or in a dry pan - until fragrant and just colouring; this draws out the green, hay-sweet aroma the dish is built around. Tear into pieces and submerge in the milk and cream. Warm to just below a simmer, remove from the heat, cover, and steep 30-45 minutes. Strain, pressing the husks to extract flavour, and top up with a little milk to restore the volume. Reheat gently. Whisk the yolks with the caster sugar (and glucose, if using) until pale, pour over the warm dairy whisking, then return to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, to 82-83°C (180-181°F) - thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain, season with a pinch of salt, cool over ice, and chill thoroughly, ideally overnight. Churn in an ice cream maker until thick, then freeze to firm.

STEP 2: REDUCE THE SWEET CORN CARAMEL

Blend the reserved corn kernels with the water to a rough puree, then pass through a fine sieve to yield a smooth sweet-corn milk. In a heavy, dry saucepan, melt the granulated sugar over medium heat to a deep amber dry caramel - don't stir, just swirl the pan. Off the heat, carefully whisk in the butter, then the corn milk and cream (it will spit). Return to a gentle heat and reduce, stirring, to a thick, glossy, pourable caramel that coats a spoon. Season with flaky salt to balance the sweetness. Cool; it thickens further as it sits.

STEP 3: BROWN THE BUTTER AND BAKE THE POLENTA BISCUITS

Melt the butter in a light-coloured pan and cook, swirling, until the milk solids turn nut-brown and it smells of toasted hazelnut. Pour into a bowl, including the toasty sediment, and cool to a soft, scoopable consistency. Combine the polenta, flour, icing sugar and salt, then mix in the brown butter and egg yolk to a dough. Bring together, wrap, and chill 30 minutes. Roll between parchment to about 3 mm thick and cut into neat ~5 cm squares - you need an even number so every sandwich has a matching top and bottom. Chill the cut shapes 10 minutes, then bake at 160°C (325°F) for 12-15 minutes until evenly pale gold and crisp. Cool completely on the tray; they firm as they cool.

STEP 4: MAKE THE POPCORN DUST

Pop the kernels in the oil in a covered pan, or use an air popper. Spread on a tray and roast at 160°C (325°F) for 5-6 minutes to deepen the flavour, then cool. Blend the popped corn to a fine powder, sieve out any hard fragments, and season with the icing sugar and a small pinch of salt. This is the coating that finishes each sandwich.

STEP 5: BUILD AND FREEZE THE SANDWICHES

Working quickly and cold, pipe or spread a generous, even layer of corn husk ice cream onto the flat side of one biscuit. Pipe a button or thin layer of sweet corn caramel into the centre, then top with a second biscuit, pressing gently so the ice cream just reaches the edges. Roll the exposed ice cream rim in the popcorn dust to coat. Set the sandwiches on a chilled tray and firm in the coldest part of the freezer for at least 1-2 hours, until solid. Serve with an extra thread of corn caramel alongside.