Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream

Ingredients

Fresh blueberries

2 cups

Granulated sugar

3/4 cup, divided

Dried culinary lavender buds

2 teaspoons

Lemon juice

1 tablespoon

Whole milk

1 cup

Heavy cream

2 cups

Egg yolks

4 large

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the fresh blueberries, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, lavender buds, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, until the blueberries break down and become soft, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2. Blend the blueberry mixture until smooth using an immersion blender or a standard blender. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove the lavender buds, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
3. In another saucepan, heat the heavy cream and whole milk over medium heat. Once it begins to steam (but not boil), remove it from heat and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until dissolved.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are light in color. Gradually pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling.
5. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 5-8 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and combine the blueberry puree with the cream mixture, stirring until well incorporated. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
7. Once chilled, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
8. Transfer the ice cream to a lidded container and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm before serving.