Instructions: In a saucepan, combine heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, and dried lavender buds. Heat over medium heat until just simmering, then remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and salt until light in color. Slowly pour the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Do not let it boil. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, preferably overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the honeycomb toffee. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine honey, granulated sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 300F hard crack stage on a candy thermometer, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in baking soda. The mixture will foam up. Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Let it cool and harden completely, then break it into small pieces. Churn the chilled ice cream mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add in the honeycomb toffee pieces. Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight. Serve the lavender ice cream topped with extra honeycomb toffee pieces, if desired.
