I’m so obsessed with this ice cream, because, well – look at that color! Have you ever seen anything quite as ready for spring as this beautiful lavender blackberry ice cream?
There have been many a nights where it’s been just about 9:45pm and I turn to my fiancé and say “do you think we can make it to Dairy Queen before it closes?” Like no joke, I’m pretty much addicted to ice cream. Which probably runs in my family because my mom is a huge DQ fan – hence my genetically inherited addiction. But I also love making a good homemade ice cream too. I think everyone should own an ice cream maker at home, because it is seriously so much easier to make than you’d think!
I mean, ice cream sounds… pretty difficult. I get it. But if I can make it pretty decently on the first try with a machine I’ve never used before, I think you can too! Honestly, the most important part is to think ahead: you need to store your ice cream bowl in the freezer for a good 24 hours before use, until the liquid inside is totally frozen. (Hint: if you shake the bowl and hear anything shifting around inside -it isn’t ready yet!)
This particular ice cream features a beautiful flavor combo: fresh, ripe blackberries paired with beautiful dried lavender. Just a bit of food coloring gel helps give the finished product a color that can’t be beat!
Now it’s your turn: what is your favorite dish to enjoy the spring? Share with me by commenting below!
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup blackberries, slightly smashed
- 1 tbsp. dried lavender
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
- 1-2 drops lavender food coloring (optional)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Combine milk, sugar, lavender, and blackberries in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges, remove from heat and allow mixture to steep in mixture for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture into a bowl or pitcher using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Wipe pan clean and return milk to pan. Place pan back over medium heat.
- Add egg yolks to a clean bowl and beat lightly. Gradually add about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. Continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, but do not boil. Remove saucepan from heat and add salt and food coloring (if desired), stirring until dissolved. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Add heavy cream, stirring to combine. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Add mixture to ice cream maker, following the manufacturers manual for instructions. Store ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve.
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