Description
A delightful ice cream made with dandelion petals and honey, capturing the essence of spring.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup dandelion petals (fresh, pesticide-free – only yellow parts, no green bits)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup honey (preferably wildflower or clover honey)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional, if you like it sweeter)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare the dandelions: Harvest dandelion flowers from a clean, pesticide-free area. Gently rinse and pat dry. Pull out the yellow petals, discarding all green parts (they’re bitter). You’ll need about 1 cup of loose petals.
- Make the infusion: In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat until just steaming (don’t boil). Add the dandelion petals and stir. Cover and let steep for 30–60 minutes. The longer you steep, the more floral the flavor. After steeping, strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the petals. Set infused milk aside.
- Make the custard base: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, honey, and optional sugar until smooth and pale. Slowly whisk in the dandelion-infused milk and heavy cream.
- Cook the custard: Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 8–10 minutes). Don’t let it boil or the eggs might scramble!
- Finish and chill: Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Pour the custard through a sieve into a clean bowl to catch any curdled bits. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Churn the ice cream: Once chilled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions (usually 20–25 minutes), until it reaches soft-serve consistency.
- Freeze to firm up: Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded container. Freeze for at least 2–3 hours to firm up before scooping.
- Serve and enjoy: Scoop into bowls or cones, and enjoy that sweet, floral, sunshiney flavor. It’s like springtime in a spoon!
Notes
- Ensure dandelion petals are harvested from a pesticide-free area.
- Adjust the sweetness by adding more or less sugar according to your taste.
- For a creamier texture, churn the ice cream longer.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Churning
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Keywords: dandelion, honey, ice cream, spring dessert