Description
Unlock a unique, floral sweetness with this creamy homemade Dandelion & Honey Ice Cream recipe. This delightful dessert features delicate dandelion essence balanced with the rich notes of honey, creating a surprisingly sophisticated frozen treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh dandelion petals (yellow parts only, tightly packed)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup honey
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Prepare Dandelions: Carefully pluck only the yellow petals from the dandelion heads, discarding all green parts.
- Infuse Dairy: In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, and dandelion petals. Heat over medium-low until simmering (not boiling). Remove from heat, cover, and infuse for 30-60 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing petals to extract liquid; discard petals.
- Temper Yolks: In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, honey, and salt until pale. Slowly whisk half of the warm infused cream into the yolk mixture to temper.
- Cook Custard: Pour tempered mixture back into the saucepan with remaining infused cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens to coat the back of a spoon (175-180°F). Stir in vanilla and lemon zest.
- Chill: Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight.
- Churn & Freeze: Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency. Transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and freeze for 3-4 hours until firm.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus foraging)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes