Honey Lavender Ice Cream
Delicate, floral and just the right amount of sweet, this honey lavender ice cream brings a taste of summer in every bite. The lavender notes are perfectly balanced by rich cream and golden honey, creating a scoop that’s anything but ordinary. It’s the kind of dessert that feels straight out of a small-batch creamery — made right at home.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup dried lavender buds
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
Directions
- Combine the cream, half-and-half, honey, vanilla and lavender buds in a saucepan and stir gently. Heat the mixture until simmering, then remove from heat and let it steep for 15 minutes. Strain the mixture to remove the lavender.
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Gradually whisk in some of the warm cream mixture. (This is called tempering and keeps the egg yolks from scrambling.) Pour the egg yolk mixture into the rest of the warm cream mixture and whisk until combined. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.
- Cover the custard with plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight.
- Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker. (The mixture will be a cream color. If you want the ice cream to have a lavender tint, add food coloring at this stage.) Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until a soft-serve consistency is reached.
- Transfer the churned ice cream to a container, cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, and freeze for at least four hours or overnight until firm.
Fun fact: Lavender fields are among the 425+ Registered Agritourism locations you can visit in Kansas!
This recipe was provided courtesy of Kansas Tourism. Visit their website for loads of ideas to explore Kansas, including lots of agritourism options!
