Lavender Ice Cream

My personal favourite glace and, like all the best things, seasonal. Use only lavender flowers, fresh or dried. The packets sold for keeping the moths away from your best clothes are not suitable, as a friend found out!
I like to keep a large Kilner jar ofvanilla sugar at hand – 3 or 4 vanilla pods in a jar full of white granulated sugar, topped up as you use it.

1 heaped dstsp of lavender flowers
heaped cup of granulated sugar
full cup of milk
8 egg yolks at room temperature
1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
6 sprigs fresh lavender to garnish.

Whizz the lavender and sugar in a food processor until thoroughly blended.
In a large mixing bowl combine the lavender sugar and milk until the sugar dissolves. In a second bowl combine the egg yolks and creme fraiche and blend together. Pour the milk mixture into the egg/creme mixture and whisk well.
Pour into a sorbetiere (ice cream machine) and freeze according to the maker’s instructions.
Alternatively, place in a covered plastic bowl in the freezer, bring it out at least twice during the freezing process and whisk up with a fork, to dissolve any forming ice crystals.
Freeze for at least 3 hours.
Meanwhile, spread a plate with some sugar; dip the lavender sprigs in water and roll in the sugar. Place on a flat tray in fridge or freezer.
Bring the ice cream out quarter of an hour before serving. Scoop into bowls with an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon dipped in boiling water. re-dip as needed. Keep the bowls of ice cream in the fridge until needed. Garnish with the frosted sprigs of lavender, then serve. Shortbread biscuits or home made cookies (flavoured with aniseed) make a fitting accompaniment.

I SUPPOSE I SHOULD ISSUE THE STANDARD CAVEAT BY SAYING THAT AS THIS ICE CREAM USES RAW EGGS IT SHOULD BE EATEN WITHIN 24 HOURS.

It would also be possbile to make lavender ice cream using the lavender sugar above with the normal “cooked custard” method