Royal Velvet Lavender Ice Cream
Makes: About 1 quart/1 liter
I was intrigued by a version of this ice cream many years ago on a trip to Florence, Italy. I’m not a fan of herbs in sweets, but the exquisitely floral flavor of lavender is an exception.
This ice cream is smooth, dense, and creamy, and perfumed with lavender. The day that I tested this ice cream I also happened to make a rhubarb compote. When I tasted the two together, I was amazed to discover that the assertive rhubarb hits first, but with each bite the more subtle, aromatic lavender rose like a high note above it. I also love the colors of lavender and deep rose together. Since the color of the lavender disappears in the ice cream, I decided it deserved to have its color restored with a few drops of food coloring. Alternatively, garnish with a sprig of lavender.
Ice Cream Base
| fresh lavender buds (see Scoops) | 9 grams | 3 tablespoons |
| sugar | 113 grams | ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon |
| cornstarch | 12 grams | 4 teaspoons |
| heavy cream | 522 grams | 2¼ cups (532 ml), divided |
| milk | 181 grams | ¾ cup (177 ml) |
| glucose or reduced corn syrup | 42 grams | 2 tablespoons (30 ml) |
| fine sea salt | . | a pinch |
| 7 (to 11) large egg yolks | 130 grams | ½ cup (118 ml) |
| lavender or purple liquid food color (optional) | . | a few drops |
* Have ready a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a medium bowl.
* Prepare an ice water bath (see instructions).
1) In a small food processor, process the lavender with the sugar until the lavender is in very fine particles.
2) In a custard cup or small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 58 grams/¼ cup/59 ml of the cream until smooth, adding the cream slowly as you mix it in. Cover with plastic wrap.
3) In a medium saucepan, with a silicone spatula, stir together the remaining cream (464 grams/2 cups/473 ml), the milk, 50 grams/¼ cup of the lavender sugar, the glucose, and salt until well blended.
4) Scrape the remaining lavender sugar into the bowl beneath the strainer. (The moisture from the lavender buds will make the sugar stick to the sides of the processor.)
5) In a medium bowl, place the egg yolks and whisk them lightly. Set it near the cooktop.
6) Over medium heat, bring the cream mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and cook at a slow boil, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate some of the water in the mixture. Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes, to about 180°F/82°C.
7) Stir the cornstarch mixture to make sure it is smooth and then whisk it into the hot cream mixture. Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a slow boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking gently. It will thicken slightly.
8) Remove the cornstarch mixture from the heat and gradually whisk about ½ cup/118 ml of the mixture into the egg yolks to temper them. Then use a whisk to stir the egg yolk mixture back into the pot. Check the temperature. If an instant-read thermometer reads 170°F/77°C, there is no need to heat it further. If it is lower, heat the mixture on low, stirring constantly, until thickened a little further. When a finger is run across the back of the spatula, it will leave a well-defined track. An instant-read thermometer should read 170° to 180°F/77° to 82°C.
9) Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into the strainer, scraping up the thickened mixture that has settled on the bottom of the pan. Press it through the strainer into the bowl and scrape any mixture clinging to the underside into the bowl. Stir to mix in the remaining lavender sugar and add the food color, if desired.
10) Set the bowl containing the custard mixture in the ice water bath and allow it to cool until no longer warm to the touch, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or until no warmer than 43°F/6°C. Set a covered storage container in the freezer.
11) Churn the lavender custard in a prechilled ice cream maker. Transfer the ice cream to the chilled container. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream, cover the container, and allow the ice cream to firm in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
12) If you make the rhubarb compote, gently spoon some rhubarb into the bowl and top it with a large scoop of the ice cream.
Store
Covered storage container: frozen, 3 days
Scoops
* I like to let the fresh lavender buds sit in the sugar for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator, covered, so that some of the moisture in the buds is absorbed into the sugar, which prevents it from sticking to the food processor.
* Fresh lavender buds can be frozen in an airtight container for a year. They can also be dried and stored in an airtight container in a cool spot for up to 2 years.
* If using dried lavender, make sure it is food-grade (avoid the potpourri variety because it has likely been sprayed with pesticides). Some dried lavenders are unpleasantly pungent. Kalustyan’s carries a good variety of edible dried lavender. You can also dry your own by hanging the lavender branches upside down in a cool, dry place for several weeks. Use 1½ tablespoons/3 grams in place of the fresh lavender buds.
* Monica Hamway, of Orchard View Lavender Farm in Port Murray, New Jersey, offered some valuable information about lavender. She told me that there are 450 varieties of lavender, and while French lavender varieties are most suited for potpourri, English lavenders are most suited for cooking. She also told me that the flavorful lavender oil is more prevalent in the buds than after they flower.
* Woody and I harvested four English varieties at Monica’s orchard in June of 2017 and 2018: Royal Velvet, Hidcote, Munstead, and Folgate. We found that all four varieties had the unmistakable scent of lavender, but some had a spicier aroma. When combined with the ingredients for this ice cream, however, we could not distinguish the difference.