Honey Lavender Ricotta Ice Cream Recipes

LAVENDER HONEY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat heavy cream, half-and-half, honey, and lavender flowers in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, stirring occasionally, until cream just starts to bubble. Remove from heat and cover; let steep for 30 minutes.
• Strain cream mixture into a bowl using a fine-mesh sieve. Discard lavender flowers. Clean saucepan and pour strained cream mixture back in. Heat over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk eggs and salt together in a bowl. Whisk in 1 cup hot cream in a slow stream.
• Pour egg mixture into the remaining hot cream in the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats the back of the spoon and reads 175 degrees F (80 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Chill, covered, for at least 3 hours.
• Freeze custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions, about 20 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer to firm up.

HONEY LAVENDER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring cream, half-and-half, honey, and lavender just to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove pan from heat. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.
• Pour cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard lavender. Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and heat over moderate heat until hot.
• Whisk together eggs and salt in a large bowl, then add 1 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour into remaining hot cream mixture in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer, about 5 minutes (do not let boil).
• Pour custard through sieve into cleaned bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

LAVENDER-HONEY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat the honey and 2 tablespoons of the lavender; once warm, remove from the heat and set aside to steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.
• Pour the cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.
• Pour the lavender-infused honey into the cream through the strainer, pressing on the lavender flowers to extract as much flavor as possible; discard the lavender and set the strainer back over the cream.
• In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks; slowly pour the warm mixture (step 2 mixture) into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
• Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.
• Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream.
• Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons lavender flowers and stir until cool over an ice bath.
• Chill the mixture overnight in the refrigerator.
• The next day, before churning, strain the mixture, again pressing on the lavender flowers to extract their flavor.
• Discard the flowers, then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.