Honey Lavender Ice Cream

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup honey (use a mild variety, can use more or less)
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers (edible flowers, they're available at penzeys)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (if you don't have 1/8 tsp, use 1/4 tsp and remove half the salt)

Recipe

• 1 bring cream, milk, honey, and lavender just to a boil (150 degrees on a candy thermometer) in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. stir occasionally, remove pan from heat, and let the mixture steep, covered, for 30 minutes to an hour.
• 2 pour mixture through a sieve into a bowl, apply pressure to the lavender buds to release all the liquid and then discard the lavender. reheat over moderate heat until hot (150 degrees).
• 3 remove pan from heat for a moment and whisk eggs and salt in a small bowl (the cream mix will rewarm quickly and i find it best to take it off the heat to avoid ruining the ice cream).
• 4 add 1/2 cup hot cream mixture (to the eggs/salt) in a slow stream, whisking constantly. return cream mix to medium-low heat, whisk the egg/cream mix back into the saucepan, and stir constantly until a candy thermometer reads 170 degrees (do not let it boil).
• 5 pour through a sieve into a medium bowl and cool completely in the fridge (at least 3 hours).
• 6 freeze in an ice cream maker. transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
• 7 notes: to chill more quickly, place the final mixture in an ice and cold-water bath for 30 minutes (a larger bowl for the ice water, a smaller bowl filled with the custard that will sit in the "bath"). stir frequently.