Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 8 hr (includes steeping, chilling, and freezing)

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 1 qt

　　2 cups heavy cream

　　1 cup half-and-half

　　2/3 cup mild honey

　　2 tablespoons dried edible lavender flowers*

　　2 large eggs

　　1/8 teaspoon salt

　　

Special Equipment

a candy or instant-read thermometer; an ice cream maker

　　

Step 1

Bring cream, half-and-half, honey, and lavender just to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove pan from heat. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Pour cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard lavender. Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and heat over moderate heat until hot.

　　

Step 3

Whisk together eggs and salt in a large bowl, then add 1 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour into remaining hot cream mixture in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer, about 5 minutes (do not let boil).

　　

Step 4

Pour custard through sieve into cleaned bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

　　

Step 5

Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　• To cool custard quickly after straining, set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir until chilled. • Custard can chill up to 1 day before freezing. • Ice cream keeps 1 week. *Available at Penzeys (800-741-7787) and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451).