Method

1. For buttered popcorn ice-cream, heat oil in a saucepan to medium-high heat, add corn and stir until it begins to pop, then cover and shake until popping stops (5-6 minutes). Drain popcorn on absorbent paper, place in a bowl, pour in butter and toss to combine. Bring milk and cream to the simmer in a saucepan, then pour it over popcorn and refrigerate overnight. Bring to the simmer over medium heat, then strain, pressing solids to extract liquid (discard solids), add vanilla and bring back to the simmer. Whisk sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until pale and thick. Add milk mixture in a thin, steady stream, whisking until incorporated. Pour into a clean saucepan and stir over medium heat until mixture thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon (6-7 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled. Churn in an ice-cream machine and freeze until required.
2. For caramel sauce, stir sugar, glucose, cream of tartar and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves (3-4 minutes). Increase heat to high and cook, swirling pan occasionally and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until golden caramel in colour (5-6 minutes). Remove from heat, add butter, then cream in a thin, steady stream, stirring to combine (take care, hot caramel may spit). Add vanilla and 1 tsp salt, stir and set aside.
3. For buttered popcorn, heat oil in a large saucepan to medium-high heat, add corn and stir until it begins to pop, then cover and shake occasionally until popping stops (5-6 minutes). Drain on absorbent paper, transfer to a bowl and pour over melted butter, toss to combine. Season to taste with fine sea salt flakes.
4. For peanut brittle, combine sugar, glucose and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar, increase heat to high and cook to 127C on a sugar thermometer (4-5 minutes). Add peanuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 148C (6-8 minutes). Remove from heat, then stir in butter, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla (take care, hot caramel may spit). Carefully pour onto a lightly oiled baking tray and spread thinly with a metal spatula. Set aside to cool, then break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container until required (up to 2 weeks).
5. To serve, drizzle caramel sauce into the base of serving glasses, scatter with peanut brittle and buttered popcorn, top with 2 scoops of popcorn ice-cream, drizzle with more caramel, scatter peanuts over and more brittle, then finish with a waffle cone and a dusting of icing sugar.
6. Note: Liquid glucose is available from select supermarkets and health food stores.

Brought to you by Gourmet Traveller

As seen in the September 2013 issue of Gourmet Traveller magazine.