Dandelion & Honey Ice Cream
This dandelion ice cream is a honey-sweetened custard infused with fresh dandelion petals, for a floral spring dessert. Makes about 1 quart.
Servings: 8 servings, makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup honey light, like clover
- 1 cup dandelion petals packed, yellow parts only
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 6 large egg yolks
Instructions
- Put the cream, milk, honey, salt, and dandelion petals in a medium saucepan. Warm it slowly over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, just until it barely simmers, then take it off the heat.
- Cover the pot and let the petals steep for at least 30 minutes, and no more than 1 hour.
- Pour the cream through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or measuring cup, pressing on the petals. Rinse the saucepan in cool water, since a hot pan will scramble the egg yolks.
- Put the egg yolks in the cooled pan. Whisk constantly while you pour in the warm cream in a thin stream.
- Turn the heat to low and keep whisking until the custard coats the back of a spoon and reaches 175°F (79°C) on an instant-read thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes. Don't let it go above 180°F.
- Pour the custard into a heatproof bowl, press plastic wrap or parchment onto the surface, and chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Churn it in an ice cream maker the way the manufacturer says, usually 20 to 30 minutes. Move it to a freezer-safe container, press parchment onto the surface, and freeze it 2 to 3 hours to firm up.
Notes
Picking dandelions: Pick from unsprayed lawns or organic pastures, away from roadsides, on a sunny, dry morning after the dew has dried. Remove every bit of green from the petals. The milky sap in the green parts is bitter and can spoil the batch.
Honey: Use a mild, light honey like clover, wildflower, or orange blossom. Dark honeys like buckwheat or manuka cover up the dandelion.
Custard temperature: Cook the custard to 175°F (79°C), or until it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you run your finger through it. Don't let it go above 180°F, or the eggs will scramble.
No ice cream maker: Freeze the cold custard in a freezer-safe container. Every 2 hours, take it out and beat it with a stand mixer paddle, or stir it really well by hand. Do that 3 or 4 times, then let it firm up.
Dairy-free: Use the non-dairy ice cream recipe that works for you, and add the dandelion infusing step at the start. Coconut cream works well.
Storage: Keeps 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Press parchment right onto the surface before you put the lid on, so ice crystals don't form.
Nutrition
Serving: 1grams | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 1108IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 0.5mg
