I would love to try Andrew Nutter's liquorice ice cream but I will not be able to get Pontefract cakes in the west of Ireland. Is there an alternative? Could I use organic liquorice sweets? I have also seen liquorice in the spices section of the health food shop but they look like a very green stick - coud I do something with them

I would imagine anything that is pure liquorice like the pontefract cakes would do. Remember they would need to be able to be melted down. I wouldn't have thought the liquorice wood would be any good, they would have the flavour but not the melting capability.

I like the idea of the ice cream myself, but hate the tase of liquorice so I don't think that this is a dish for me!

Don't you have things like Liqorice bootlaces or similar? they are roughly the same. Try the kids sweet counter.

Don't those old fashioned sweet shop online places do them? they do most things.

Marie, I saw them today at Julia graves shop, you can buy online [link]

oh, I forgot to mention that the AUSTRALIAN BLACK OPAL SOFT EATING LIQUORICE, is divine

Thanks for the help - I actually found then in the health food store on Sat evening and made the ice cream yesterday. It was delicious.

Best liquorice ice-cream I'm tasted is Valio from Finlad and it's really delicious.

I would recommend you to by liquorice extract if you can find. It's used by all best companies making liquorice sweets and ice-creams.

For best real liquorice sweets try Halva from Finland, it's full soft liquorice.