Hello everybody!

Summer is almost coming to its end and yet it’s hot in Toronto! It’s still time to refresh yourself with ice cream and I have a great recipe for you! I love using herbs and flowers when making desserts because I find that it gives a unique flavor and it makes the dessert very fresh.

I went to Terre Bleu, a lavender farm near Toronto and bought some culinary lavender which I have been using for a couple of recipes, but I thought that it could be great to use it to make ice cream. Lavender ice cream is truly delicious, but may be an acquired taste for some, if they don’t like floral flavors like rose, orange blossom or jasmine.

Making ice cream is actually not that complicated and it can be done without an ice cream maker. I made my ice cream without a machine by simply using cream and condensed milk. The ice cream was so creamy, sweet and flavorful!

I found that my lavender ice cream needed a little extra and what better addition than apricots slowly caramelized in butter, sugar and flavored with rosemary. This dessert is very simple, refreshing and the floral and herbal flavors work perfectly together. Drizzle the ice cream with some honey and you’re good to go!

Let’s start cooking!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 can sweet condensed milk (14 oz/ 396 g)
• 2 tbsp lavender flowers
• 6 apricots
• 20 g butter
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 stem rosemary
• Honey

Preparation:

1- Add the cream and condensed milk into a pot. Crush the lavender flowers and add them to the pot. Heat up the mixture until it starts boiling. Strain to remove the lavender flowers and pour the mixture in a mixing bowl. Cover with surround wrap and let it cool down in the fridge.

2- Once the mixture is very cold, remove from the fridge and whisk until it thickens. The mixture should be very thick and stick to the mixing bowl. Pour in the container of your choice and let it rest in the freezer overnight.

3- Cut the apricots in half and remove the pit. In a frying pan, melt the butter and sugar together. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the stem of rosemary and the apricots. Cook the apricots until they are caramelized on both sides.

4- In a plate or bowl, add a scoop of lavender ice cream and a couple caramelized apricots on the side. Cover with lavender flowers and a drizzle of honey. Serve and enjoy!

This is the perfect dessert to eat on a hot summer day! Fresh, floral and herbal, this dessert is full of flavors and it has just the right amount of sweetness. Plus it’s super easy to make! A must try before summer is over!

I hope you will enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comment section what you think about this recipe and if you liked it.

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