Honey-lavender ice cream with a fresh peach compote -- sounds fancy, eh? When I told Matt that was the ice cream dish I planned to make, fancy was the first word he said. And although this honey-lavender ice cream sounds fancy, it's simple to make. I always love a good fancy-simple recipe combo. You look like a rockstar without any stress. Sounds like a win-win to me.
As a heads up, this recipe -- as with all homemade ice cream -- takes some planning ahead. I recommend starting the day before you plan to serve. You also need an ice cream maker, but if you don't have one, it's well worth the investment. Ice cream makers are available at many price points, and once you have one, I'm sure you'll get plenty of use.
If you need a recommendation, I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker and absolutely love it. That ice cream maker has been a staple in my kitchen since 2012, and it's still going strong.
Step-by-Step Instructions
So let's talk ice cream. To get started, cook heavy cream, milk, honey, lavender and a touch of sugar on the stove. You just want to bring the mixture to a simmer. As I've learned over the years, the proteins in dairy break down once they boil, making for an unstable mixture. Once the mixture starts simmering and the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat and let the lavender steep uncovered for at least 30 minutes.
By the way, if you need lavender, I like Kate Naturals on Amazon. The flavor is delicious, and you don't have to trek to a speciality store. That's enough for me.
As the lavender steeps, whisk together a ridiculous amount of delicious egg yolks with some vanilla extract or paste in a separate bowl. I generally do this for about three minutes or so. After 30 minutes, taste the lavender mixture, and if you're good with the flavor, strain the lavender as you pour the mixture into another bowl -- not the same bowl as the eggs.
The mixture should still be warm, but if some dark magic happened to cool the mixture, gently heat it over the stove. You probably won't have to worry about this step, but I want to point it out just in case because we need the mixture to be hot enough to temper the eggs.
If you've never tempered eggs, it's a simple but important process. Basically, you spoon a small scoop of the hot cream mixture into the eggs and continuously whisk. Keep doing this until you incorporate about half the cream mixture. This gently cooks the eggs, so they don't turn into scrambled eggs. I love scrambled eggs, and I love ice cream, but I don't think the two should become one.
Once you temper the eggs, pour everything back into your saucepan and cook over medium heat. Constantly stir for about eight to 10 minutes. The mixture is ready once it can coat the back of a spoon.
Pour the cooked custard into a bowl and let it cool for a bit. After it cools, cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, you'll be ready to churn and eat. See? Nothing hard about that. Although this recipe takes some time and has few steps, the process is simple.
The peach compote is even easier. Cook the peaches with a little sugar until they start to break down. Mash them with a fork or potato masher and spritz in some fresh lemon juice. That's it.
Perfect Pairing
Lavender and honey are such delicate flavors that you don't want anything overpowering. A blonde ale is a great choice with this ice cream. The honey and lavender take the spotlight, and blonde ales are also a great palate cleanser against the rich, custardy texture. Bonus points for pairing a peach or apricot blonde ale to accentuate the compote.
With its floral notes and peachy characteristic, a Moscato d’Asti complements the main flavors of this ice cream if wine is your drink of choice. Plus, those lively bubbles are the perfect counter to the ice cream's body.
Please, please, please give this honey-lavender ice cream a whirl. I have no doubt that this honey-lavender ice cream with peach compote will become one of your new summer favorites.
Cheers!
Looking for More Ice Cream Recipes?
- Baileys ice cream
- S'mores ice cream
- Fresh mint-chocolate chip ice cream
- Gingerbread ice cream
- Bourbon-pumpkin ice cream
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📖 Recipe
Honey-Lavender Ice Cream With Peach Compote
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
Ingredients
Honey-Lavender Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- ⅔ cup honey
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried lavender culinary grade
- 7 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peach Compote
- ½ cup diced peaches
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- ½ lemon juiced
Instructions
- Whisk together the heavy cream, milk, honey, sugar and lavender in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to whisk periodically to help dissolve the sugar. Once it simmers, turn off heat, cover and let the lavender steep. Do not bring to a boil.
- Strain lavender and pour mixture into separate bowl. If it's still warm, proceed to step three. If not, gently reheat on the stove just until warm.
- Whisk egg yolks and vanilla until pale, about three minutes. Temper about one-fourth cup of warm cream mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly.
- Add tempered egg-cream mixture back to the pot. Whisk constantly over medium heat and bring back to a simmer. Again, do not boil. Cook until mixture thickens and covers the back of a wooden spoon. Turn off heat.
- Allow to cool and then cover the top of the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, preferably overnight.
- Place custard in ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directors. Pour into an airtight container and freeze for a few hours.
- For peach compote, cook the peaches and sugar over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Mash with a fork or potato mash until it reaches desired consistency. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve either warm or cold. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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