Thursday, July 7, 2011

Lavender Honey Ice Cream

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Some of you might be saying, “lavender? in ice cream?”

If you are in fact skeptical, let me assure you this is pure heaven. The delicate, subtle flavors of lavender and honey make this cold, creamy dessert a perfect summer treat.

The grocery list: whole milk; heavy whipping cream; honey; dried lavender; granulated sugar; eggs; and an ice cream maker (I have an older model Cuisinart, but any type will do).

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Grab a medium sized saucepan and pour in 2 cups of whole milk.

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I could not figure out why the milk wouldn’t come out, so I stuck my finger in it. There was a thick layer of cream on top.

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I removed the cream and discarded it... yum.

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Then add 1/3 cup of honey

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and 1/4 cup dried lavender (a bit less if you’re using fresh).

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Make sure the lavender you use is edible. To be safe, I purchased mine at Williams-Sonoma, but you can find it fresh at many farmer’s markets for a brief period of time. Just make sure it’s organic English or French lavender grown specifically for culinary purposes.

Bring the milk, honey and lavender mixture to a gentle boil, then cover and remove it from the heat source. Let this mixture steep for about five minutes, as you would your tea.

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Now strain the lavender mix, reserving the milk and honey and discarding the lavender (for real this time).

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I used cheesecloth, but any small screened strainer will do the trick.

Now separate five eggs and dump the yolks into an electric mixer.

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Add 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar to the yolks

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Beat on medium-high speed until they’re very thick and pale yellow. About 3-5 minutes.

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Meanwhile, back at your stove top... return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

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Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

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Remove from heat, pour mixture into a medium sized bowl and immediately stir in one cup of cream.

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Place bowl into an ice-water bath until chilled. Give it an occasional stir.

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Place chilled mixture in an ice cream maker for about 20-30 minutes, or until it’s the consistency of soft ice cream.

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Remove its loveliness from the ice cream maker and pour it into a sealable freezer container. Put it in the freezer for several hours.

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Yummmmmmmm

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Lavender Honey Ice Cream
(from Martha Stewart)
PRINTABLE RECIPE


Makes 1 quart

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dried lavender
1/3 cup honey
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, and honey. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 15 minutes. Strain mixture, reserving liquid and discarding lavender.

Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 to 5 minutes. Return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat, and stir in one cup heavy cream. Strain mixture into a mixing bowl and set it in an ice-water bath. Let stand until chilled, stirring occasionally. Transfer to an ice cream maker and turn it on for about 25 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to two weeks.

15 comments:

John Going Gently said...

lovely professional photos. good blog!

Cindy said...

Thank you John!

happygirl said...

This looks delicious and your pics are gorgeous. I'm longing to eat this RIGHT NOW. :)

Cindy said...

Thanks happygirl!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Your photos are great and that ice cream sounds delicious. I'm new to your blog and have spent some time browsing through your earlier posts. I'm so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you feature here. I'll be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

jazgal said...

Yum!! It seems like it would be worth the process, and the process is well presented - thank you!
A nice thing to do with this is put a scoop between two sugar-cinnamon cookies for a delish ice cream sandwich. (Ruby Jewels does this, but homemade would be even better!)

Cindy said...

Hi Mary, Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words.

Cindy said...

Jazgal, I'm thinking shortbread cookies with sea salt would be good too. Yum!

Susan said...

OMG! That looks soooo good! I LOVE ice cream! I'm growing lavender now, so can I use it if it hasn't been pestisized? You should have used that cream that was on top in your ice cream. :)

Cindy said...

Hi Susan, about that cream on top: it reminded me of stories my Mom tells about milking cows and carrying the bucket to the house not being able to resist sampling a bit of the cream that had settled on top. When I saw that cream on top of the milk, it was way too tempting!

Hold the pesticides! Enjoy your lavender!

Emily said...

This looks wonderful and something different and kinda fancy, but simple. I LOVE lavender. I am growing delicata squash because you recommended it :) and wondered if you could email me the recipes you'd posted last year using it?
jemmsblog (at) gmail (dot) com

Cindy said...

Hi Jemm, Recipes sent. Enjoy!

Lisa said...

I am finally thinking of pulling out my Ice Cream maker this year. This looks like a great flavor to try. I have this idea that milk helps to mute or settle the perfumy notes of lavender and the complexity of the honey offers a great balance. Thanks for the inspiration!

jazgal said...

yes - I think that shortbread with sea salt would be good too! Double yum!

CGMethven said...

Ok, so I found this recipe late last night and tried it out, followed the directions and Ta Da....turned out fantastic. The next day,Valentine's Day, I served a spoonful to my Dad (who's a very picky eater) with out telling him what it was - he LOVED it. Four of us ate the whole thing. My only regret is not making more.