I’m making batch after batch of this ice cream, feverishly trying to get the most out of our neighbor’s gorgeous lavender. Hands-down, it’s our favorite ice cream. I think the flavor of the honey is important here too, and the one I use is local and herbaceous. I think it pairs really well with the lavender.

Lavender-Honey Ice Cream
Recipe from: The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovitz

Ingredients:
½ cup good quality honey
¼ cup dried or fresh lavender blossoms, divided
1½ cups whole milk
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1½ cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

Directions:
Heat the honey and 2 tablespoons of the lavender in a small saucepan. 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 medium saucepan. Pour the cream in 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, then discard the lavender and set the strainer back over the cream.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling, 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 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 flower to extract their flavour. Discard the flowers, then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Lavender-Honey Ice Cream (The Perfect Scoop, p. 64)