By Franzi
Wow, what a summer, right? One hot day after another until August, climate change sends its regards. Probably the only good thing about it: you always have an excuse to take a break for a delicious ice cream to cool down. We really took full advantage of that this summer. And it's no surprise to anyone that chocolate is our favorite flavor. But just pure chocolate is a bit monotonous in the long run. The solution: This delicious lavender chocolate ice cream! It satisfies chocolate and ice cream cravings in equal measure and the lavender component gives the whole thing a refreshing twist. If you have any questions while reading or are looking for more information about lavender, please scroll down to our FAQs at the end of the article!
The ingredients for the perfect late summer ice cream
The ingredients listed make around 8 portions of ice cream. About six if you're training for the Ice Cream Eating World Championship like we are.
For the egg cream base you need:
- 1.2 l whipped cream
- 355 ml whole milk
- 9 large egg yolks, whisked
- 350g sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
And for the lavender syrup:
- 70g sugar
- 80ml water
- 2 tablespoons dried lavender
For the ice cream:
- 455g chocolate, chopped
How the ingredients become the delicious lavender chocolate ice cream:
- Start by preparing the custard base of the egg. To do this, put the milk and whipped cream in a pot and heat the whole thing over medium heat to around 70° C.
- Then take the pot off the heat and slowly stir in the egg yolks, then the sugar and salt. Stir until the mixture has combined into a mass.
- Finally, filter the whole thing through a fine sieve so that any remaining sugar or salt crystals do not find their way into the ice cream.
- To make the lavender syrup, put the sugar and water in a small pot and heat the whole thing again over medium heat until the mixture simmers.
- Then let it simmer over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Then reduce the heat, add the lavender and put a lid on the pot and let the syrup simmer for 30 minutes.
- Then this mixture must also be passed through a fine sieve so that the syrup is freed from the lavender flowers.
- Then set the syrup aside and let it cool down.
- To make the ice cream you need a double boiler. Put it on the plate and let it warm up over medium heat. But be careful that the temperature in the pot does not exceed 43°C during the entire process.
- When the pot has warmed up, add 950 ml of the egg cream. Pour in the chocolate and stir until it has melted.
- When the chocolate has melted, add the rest of the egg cream and the syrup and remove the pan from the heat.
- Now fill the ice cream mixture into a form suitable for the freezer. As soon as the mixture has cooled to room temperature, the mixture needs to be placed in the freezer again for at least 2 hours.
- Stir the ice cream every now and then so that the consistency remains creamy. And as soon as the mass is frozen: Tada, the perfect summer ice cream is ready!
Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash
FAQs about lavender chocolate ice cream
Can I also make lavender chocolate ice cream in the ice cream maker?
Sure! If you are one of the lucky people who have an ice cream maker of your own, you can of course simply pour the mixture into it at the end and save yourself the trouble of stirring it by hand during the cooling process. The fact that the creaminess factor of ice cream from an ice cream machine is of course slightly higher cannot be denied compared to others who do not have an ice cream machine.
Lavender – Is it even edible and tasty?
When many people think of lavender, they might first think of the fragrant moth bags in their grandparents' closet and not necessarily of delicious ice cream. But: Lavender is edible and has long been used as a medicinal plant against nervousness, restlessness, sunburn and rheumatism. If you want to pick the lavender fresh for the ice cream, make sure to get the so-called real lavender. This is characterized by its narrow leaves. And because dried lavender flowers are more intense than fresh ones, you may need to use a little more, otherwise the lavender taste will be less intense.
Is the ice cream also vegan?
In principle, you can definitely “veganize” the ice cream. You then just have to replace the egg yolks with more vegan mixture, depending on which vegan milk alternative, for example. You will definitely succeed with an ice cream maker. If you try the vegan recipe, please send us a photo of the result and let us know if it worked well. :)
