For this lavender honey ice cream, lavender blossoms are steeped in half-and-half until fully flavored. The mixture is stirred with eggs to make a custard and churned for a cool, mellow treat.
French lavender is the best varietal to use for cooking, as it lends a delightful aromatic perfume with an intriguingly haunting overtone. And this dish is no exception. The lovely, light lavender flavor is perfect for hot summer days. Other lavender species, on the other hand, can have a more medicinal taste.
French lavender can be found at specialty stores, many farmers’ markets, and organic grocers. For this lavender honey ice cream recipe, use either the fresh or dried blossoms, stripped from the stem. Also, honey liqueur, which can be purchased at quality liquor stores, is a perfect complement and creates a softer texture than actual honey.–Lou Seibert Pappas
In this recipe
☞ Contents
Lavender Honey Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups half-and-half or milk
- 3 tablespoons fresh or dried lavender blossoms
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey liqueur (optional)
Directions
- Prepare a large bowl or pan of ice water.
- In the top of a double boiler, heat the half-and-half and lavender over simmering water until steaming. Remove from the heat and steep for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until blended, then whisk in the honey. Whisk in about half of the hot half-and-half and pour the yolk mixture into the pan of half-and-half. Stir and cook over simmering water until the custard coats the back of a silicone spatula or spoon, about 10 minutes. Immediately place the custard pan in the ice bath and stir the custard occasionally until it cools to room temperature. Strain the custard into a container and discard the lavender. Stir in the cream, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours.
- Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream is almost frozen, spoon in the honey liqueur, if desired, and churn until blended in, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a container, cover, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
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Originally published April 27, 2007
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
I made this ice cream with an apple tart for my husband and I last night. It was so perfect. It was just the right consistency and the flavor was amazing. It went really well with the apple tart. I’m so glad I found this recipe. I will be using the ice cream base for all the other ice creams I make. Thanks for publishing it!!