Refreshing Lavender-Infused Mint Ice Cream
Lavish Lavender Mint Ice Cream: A Fresh Twist on Two Classic Recipes
Welcome to an enchanting fusion of flavors that'll take your taste buds on a tantalizing journey! This scrumptious lavender mint ice cream draws inspiration from two sensational fresh mint ice cream recipes, one gracefully borrowed from the NPR site and another, surprisingly, a hidden gem on Chowhound. But that's not all! This heavenly concoction boasts not only the invigorating zest of mint but also the calming allure of lavender, much like a delectable hot drink I savored at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf during a vacation in California.
Yield: A lavish 1 quart of scrumptiousnessDifficulty: A piece of cake, seriously easy!Total Time: Approximately an hour, including chilling and churning timeActive Time: 30 minutes of pure magic
The Cast of Characters:* 1 cup fresh, vibrant mint leaves* 2 tablespoons fresh lavender (or replace with 1 tablespoon dried lavender)* 1 ½ cups whole milk (I used 1 % Simply Smart Milk)* 1 ½ cups heavy cream* 2/3 cup granulated sugar, reduced to 1/2 for your waistline conscious pals (divided: 1/3 cup for the mixture and 1/3 cup for the egg yolks)* 5 humble egg yolks* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt* 1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Double-Strength Vanilla
Technicalities:
- Prepare a hearty saucepan by heating the cream, milk, mint, lavender, vanilla, and 1/3 cup sugar on medium heat. Let the flavors simmer and become one, my dear.
- Once the concoction has attained its peak flavor, kindly remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it, and allow everything to mingle for 25-30 minutes.
- Crack open a medium-sized bowl, whisper to the egg yolks, salt, and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, "It's time to party!"
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, gently filter the infused milk mixture into a pristine bowl.
- Slowly move forward by tempering the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, taking care to whisk vigorously to maintain harmony amidst the mixture.
- Once the tempered yolks are ready, reunite the family in the saucepan and cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens, approximately 170°F (or trust your instincts, they rarely steer you wrong).
- Using the sieve once more, transfer the now luscious, thickened mixture into a clean bowl. Speedily cool the mixture over an ice water bath and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
- Once chilled, summon your trusty ice cream maker, and follow the manufacturer's instructions to churn the ice cream.
- After the ice cream is churned to perfection, transfer it to an airtight container and let it harden in the freezer for a few hours before serenading your taste buds with its enchanting flavors. Enjoy this ice cream like a royal, as it's truly fit for a queen (or king)!
- This lavender mint ice cream recipe, inspired by two classic mint recipes, includes 1 cup of fresh mint leaves and 2 tablespoons of fresh lavender.
- The cool, calming allure of lavender and invigorating zest of mint blend together in this ice cream, reminiscent of a delectable hot drink enjoyed at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
- With a yield of one quart, this easy-to-make ice cream requires active time of just 30 minutes, while chilling and churning add an additional 30-45 minutes.
- To prepare this recipe, you'll need ingredients like whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, egg yolks, salt, and vanilla, totaling 1 ½ cups of milk, 1 ½ cups of heavy cream, 2/3 cup of sugar, 5 egg yolks, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, along with 1 cup of fresh mint leaves, 2 tablespoons of fresh lavender, and 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's Double-Strength Vanilla.
