Is my cuisinart ice cream canister deteriorating in its 12th year of use, or has the weather getting much hotter in the last few years? Making ice cream recently has kind of been a pain in the butt. I’ve been having to first stick the ice cream mixture into the freezer for an hour beforehand until the edges of the ice cream are frozen, then give it a good stir before churning. Otherwise, I’ll just be watching the ice cream canister and the liquid ice cream warming up together on my countertop. At times like this, I’m starting to envy my friend who recently bought a self-refrigerating ice cream machine and skipped all these troubles that I’ve been having.
On a less whiny note, I’m happy to report that I've been awash with lavender flowers. We’ve been sprinkling it into the teas that we brew. I took some from our stash and made a couple of pints of this ice cream. This batch succeeded, thankfully, after I semi-froze the ice cream mixture before churning. Not only did it churn well, it also turned out to be some of the best ice cream that I’ve ever had. It was incredible, with a smooth consistency and intense lavender flavours that lingered.
On the days when I botched yet another batch of ice cream in the heat (I still get overly optimistic when I gauge the ice cream mixture as “cold enough”, I console myself with a scoop from this.)
David Lebovitz’s Lavender Ice Cream
Ingredients
125ml (½ cup) honey
125ml (½ cup) honey
4g + 4g (2+2 tablespoons) food-safe lavender flowers, dried or fresh
375ml (1½ cups) whole milk
375ml (1½ cups) whole milk
50g (¼ cup) sugar
Pinch of salt
375ml (1½ cups) heavy cream
375ml (1½ cups) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
Steps
1. In a small saucepan set over low heat, gently warm honey and 2 tablespoons (4g) of lavender. Once warm, remove from the heat. Set aside to steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Pour the cream into a large bowl. Using a sieve, strain the lavender-infused honey into the cream. Press down on the flowers with a spatula or a spoon to extract as much honey as possible. Set the strainer back over the bowl, and return the bowl to the fridge.
3. In a medium sized saucepan set over low heat, combine the milk, sugar, and salt and cook until warm. Remove from heat.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Drizzle the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to combine, then return the mixture back into the saucepan. Set over medium heat to cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula and making sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan as you do so to prevent the eggs from overcooking. Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. If using a thermometer, it should reach 77°C - 79°C. Do not overcook.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the large bowl containing the cream through the strainer. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (4g) of lavender flowers. Stir over an ice bath until cool. Chill the mixture thoroughly overnight, flowers and all.
Steps
1. In a small saucepan set over low heat, gently warm honey and 2 tablespoons (4g) of lavender. Once warm, remove from the heat. Set aside to steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Pour the cream into a large bowl. Using a sieve, strain the lavender-infused honey into the cream. Press down on the flowers with a spatula or a spoon to extract as much honey as possible. Set the strainer back over the bowl, and return the bowl to the fridge.
3. In a medium sized saucepan set over low heat, combine the milk, sugar, and salt and cook until warm. Remove from heat.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Drizzle the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to combine, then return the mixture back into the saucepan. Set over medium heat to cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula and making sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan as you do so to prevent the eggs from overcooking. Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. If using a thermometer, it should reach 77°C - 79°C. Do not overcook.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the large bowl containing the cream through the strainer. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (4g) of lavender flowers. Stir over an ice bath until cool. Chill the mixture thoroughly overnight, flowers and all.
6. The next day, before churning, strain out the lavender, again pressing on the lavender flowers to extract their flavor. The lavender can be discarded. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
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