We take Lavender for granted as an ingredient in perfume or potpourri mixtures, but it also happens to be a delightful addition to all manner of sweets, savory dishes and even drinks. I’ve written about the culinary uses of orange flower water before, and have also used rose petals in ice cream, but this is the first time I’ve paired two flowers in one aromatic recipe. Dried lavender flowers and candied violet petals create a potent combination of elegance and refreshment that’s not to be missed. The creamy texture and floral flavor of the ice cream is irresistible with purple flecks of crystallized violet flowers peaking through, just begging to be tasted.
This is what I was making yesterday afternoon when Sandy responded to my Twitter about churning something delicious in my kitchen. I love, love, love (did I say love?) the way flowers add an extra oomph to food. English Lavender has the sweetest fragrance and lends floral, citrus-like notes to recipes. Fresh flowers add a vibrant hue to salads, while dried flowers lend themselves to use in savory stews and breads, as well as drinks such as tea and lavender champagne. You can also use dried lavender flowers to flavor sugars. Simply pulverize two to three teaspoons of lavender with a mortar and pestle (or in a food processor) then mix with two cups of sugar, tightly seal in a container for a couple weeks, then substitute for ordinary sugar in your recipes for chocolate cakes, sorbets and the like.
Though I greatly enjoy the combination of chocolate and lavender, this week I decided to kick off the long weekend with a batch of Lavender Ice Cream with Candied Violet Petals. My husband and I each enjoyed a bowl this evening and plan to serve it at a dinner with friends tomorrow. If you decide to bring this irresistible dish into your home (which I hope you do!) you’re bound to experience yet another boon of adding flowers to your culinary repertoire: in addition to the taste, you’ll get the conversation that pops up when people realize they are eating roses, violets, lavender or some other garden beauty. Here are some curious tidbits about Lavender & Violets to throw into any spontaneous dinner table discussions:
- Lavender
- In ancient Rome lavender flowers were often added to baths to scent the water, which is where we get the name “lavender”, from the Latin word for bathing, “lavare.”
- In Christian mythology there is a story describing how lavender flowers got their heavenly scent - they were taken from the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve, and hence are a little piece of paradise on earth. Lavender smells so pretty that it’s often claimed Cleopatra perfumed herself with it in order to seduce Julius Cesaer and Mark Antony.
- At one time lavender was referred to as the “good witches” herb. Some believed that if you stuffed keyholes with lavender it would keep ghosts from entering your home.
- In Tudor England, the ladies of Henry VIII’s household used lavender for all kinds of things. They placed it among bed linens, dried clothes on top of the plants and even mixed it with beeswax in order to make furniture polish.
- Queen Elizabeth loved lavender. She drank it in tea as a treatment for migraines, wore it as perfume and ordered that lavender jelly always be served at the royal dining table. In Queen Victoria’s time, ladies wore sachets of lavender in their cleavage to attract suitors.
- Today Lavender is used to induce sleep, ease stress and relieve depression - all excellent reasons, I believe, to eat it in ice cream.
- The Greek word for violets is “io.” In Greek mythology Io was the daughter of King Argos and one of the many love interests of Zeus. Zeus became infatuated with the girl then turned her into a heifer to avert the jealous wrath of his wife, Hera. He then created violets for Io to eat.
- The ancient Britons used violets in cosmetics while the Romans made a sweet wine called “violetum” with them. When spring arrived the Romans would scatter violet petals and leaves in banquet halls then drink violetum until they couldn’t drink no more!
- In the Middle Ages monks called violets the “Herb of the Trinity” and used to make violet cordials, both for sale as sweets and for their own indulgence. Violets were thought to be symbols of faithfulness in love and were made into crowns for winners of poetry contests. Wearing a garland of violets around the neck was also thought to prevent drunkenness.
- Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon, loved the scent of violets and wore it as perfume. When Napoleon died, a lock of Josephine’s hair and dried violet petals were found in a locket.
Violets
I have seen dried lavender flowers and candied flower petals at specialty and organic shops, but if you’re unable to find them in your neighborhood Kalustyans is my favorite online vendor. Their shipping is lickity-split quick and the quality of their stock is such that chefs in the NYC-area frequently rely on them for more esoteric ingredients. They don’t have everything though, as my mother reminded me this afternoon. She was interested in buying lavender flowers and violet petals to try the recipe in this post, at which point I said something like, “You should buy them Mom! And look around the rest of their selection, it seems like they have everything.” She paused at this, then responded, “Oh yea? Do they have Nipples of Venus?” By this she meant the Nipples of Venus (a.k.a. “Capezzoli di Venere”, which are Roman chestnuts in brandied sugar) I blogged about back in January 2006 and no, Kalustyans does not carry them. You see what happens when your mom reads your blog? 
A couple notes before I go:
- I recently updated the Baking and Books RSS feed so that full-posts are now available via reader or email. Home delivery! Huzzah! I’d love it if you signed up.
- Also, the winner of August’s book giveaway will be announced here on September 1st! You can learn more about the monthly book giveaway by visiting this page (incidentally, the same page where the winner’s name will be posted).
Lavender Ice Cream with Candied Violet Petals (My Recipe)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups light cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons dried lavender flowers - be sure to use flowers intended for culinary use, like these
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons candied violet petals (I used this method to candy the petals from organic violet flowers, but you can also purchase candied violet petals here)
In a medium-sized saucepan combine the cream, whole milk and 2 tablespoons of the lavender flowers. Over medium-low heat bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. Remove from the heat. Cover pan and allow the lavender flowers to steep for 20 minutes.
In a medium mixing bowl beat the sugar and egg yolks together until pale yellow. Strain the cream and milk mixture, pressing the lavender flowers to extract as much flavor as possible. Slowly beat the warm liquid into the egg yolks, adding a pinch of salt. Pour everything back into your medium saucepan and place over low heat. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, heat until the custard thickens slightly. (Be patient: raising the heat too high or neglecting to stir the mixture could allow the eggs to scramble.) The mixture has thickened sufficiently when it lightly coats the back of your spoon.
Remove from heat and allow the custard to cool slightly. Pour the custard into a large metal or glass bowl, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lavender flowers. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and chill overnight in the refrigerator.
The next morning, strain the mixture again, removing the lavender flowers and pressing them to get all of their flavor. Discard the flowers then freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I use the Cuisinart ICE-20 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker and generally churn my ice cream for 20 minutes.
While the ice cream is churning measure 2 tablespoon of candied violet petals. You can roughly chop them if you like, but it’s fine to use them whole as well. Add the candied violet petals to your ice cream during the last 5 minutes of churning time - simply drop the petals into the ice cream and allow the ice cream maker to mix them in.
Once the ice cream has finished churning, transfer to a freezer-safe tupperware and chill for at least 4 hours.
You Might Also Like:- Homemade Coconut Ice Cream
- The Comfort of Honey
- Chai Ice Cream
- Almond Orange Flower Teacake
- Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet
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This entry was posted on Friday, August 29th, 2008 by Ariela and is filed under Desserts, Food History, Frozen Desserts, My Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
54 Comments.
Ari, so this is the beautiful surprise you were making in your ice-cream freezer! Wow . . . What an exquisite combination! I would love to see this plated alongside a really delicate wedding cake - lavender and violets are terribly romantic!
The food history details are terrific - I always enjoy your blog, but this has to be one of my all-time favorite blog posts, anywhere!
Sandy S’s last blog post -> Kiwifruit Sorbet
I always forget about baking with lavender - you’re right, it’s mostly associated with fragrances and such!!
VeggieGirl’s last blog post -> Make It Vegan, Gluten-Free… and "Kick It Up a Notch!"
Wow, I’ve never made anything with flowers before but it sounds like a great idea!
Shelby’s last blog post -> Blueberry Pie?!
I am amazed at the unique recipes and then tidbit background information I learn from your site. It is a wonderful combination.
I have never really thought about using flower petals in food, but it sounds intriguing and of course very tempting. Your ice cream looks very creamy and delicious!
Thanks for sharing all this info and the recipe! I’m always on the look-out for unique and interesting ice-cream flavors!
Looks yummy!
A wonderful ice cream! Refined, delicate tasting and originally flavored! Scrumptious!
Lately, I’ve been making quite a lot of ice creams (Maple Walnut & Honey Walnut, etc…)…
Cheers,
Rosa
Rosa’s last blog post -> WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #169
Violet candy is a really big deal where I live - so yummy! - it would also be yum in an icey treat!
Shellyfish’s last blog post -> Jen’s Birthday Apron
Gorgous ari! lavender is one of my favourite cooking ingredients - I eat mine with lamb and honey. I’ve also used it to smoke duck with great results.
Helen’s last blog post -> Franklins, East Dulwich.
Sounds so interesting and delicious. I really look forward to trying the recipe.
This sounds so good. It makes me want to try something like this! Unfortunately, I don’t think I have the means right now. But it’s definitely going on my list.
Sounds wonderfule, I can almost smell it. Be careful with the amount of lavender, you give kids (especially boys). Ir can mess up their hormone levels.
I’m probably the only person in the world who doesn’t like the smell of lavendar. The ice cream looks devine though! And I’m loving your Mom’s “Nipples of Venus” comment!
I have had lavender cookies but ice cream, I would imagine that is super heavenly!!
Yummmmy! Have a great holiday weekend.
This recipe sounds so delicious! I can’t wait to try it out for myself!
when I lived in Philly, i loved ordering the lavender creme brulee from this little BYOB near my apartment. lavender ice cream sounds amazing. Incidentally, did you see this: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27...
ali’s last blog post -> Roasted Tomato Soup Thickened with Bread (Pappa Al Pomodoro)
That looks lovely. I wish I were more adventerous in using lavender in cooking. I have never done it and feel too intimidated to try.
beastmomma’s last blog post -> Friday Fill-In #87
Your ice cream looks heavenly! I enjoyed reading all the tidbits about lavender. Very cool!
Paz
This looks fabulous - a little scoop of heaven right there! Very creative
Kristen’s last blog post -> On Fire
Sandy S » Wow that is high praise indeed! I’m so happy you enjoyed the post.
Shelby » You should try it!
Rosa » Ooo, maple walnut sounds fantastic. I think that’s one of my husband’s favorite ice cream combos actually.
Shellyfish » I love violet candy! Don’t see it too often around here though, thank goodness for the internet right?
Helen » Lavender, lamb and honey. That sounds like something you’d see on a menu in a high end restaurant. I bet it tastes amazing!
Paul » That’s true, though I don’t think the amount of lavender in this ice cream would make much of a difference, especially in the single-serving. Studies with lavender had more to do with continuous exposure in food, soaps, essential oils etc. But thank you for the reminder!
Cheryl » I’m sure there are plenty of folks who don’t like the smell of lavender! I happen to love it, but I cannot stand the fragrance of orchids. To each their own right?
ali » I had not seen that NY Times article, thank you for sharing it! (And lavender creme brulee is awesome.)
beastmomma » I can relate, there have often been ingredients or dishes that are intimidating at first glance. But how are you going to expand your culinary experiences if you don’t push your comfort zone a little? I say experiment, with lavender if you like, and if you’re using one of my recipes feel free to email me! I’m happy to help you out if you need it.
Hi Ari, I recently had goats cheese with lavender and it was wonderful!
I would have never thought it would taste as good as it did! It made me want to step out of my comfort zone a little more. I really enjoyed your informative post, and the looks and description of your delicious icecream! Now I’m on a hunt for “Nipples of Venus!”
Marie’s last blog post -> Family, Friends, and an Evening with Tony Bennett!!
I too recently made lavender ice cream, it was truly lovely. I like the use of the violets.
peabody’s last blog post -> The Good Side….
candied violet petals…do you think i’d get weird looks from my co-workers if i just snacked on those all day?
ari, this ice cream sounds incredibly delicious–excellent work!
grace’s last blog post -> like riding a bike…
The ice cream sounds wonderful and looks beautiful! Thank you for sharing the history also, that is part of what I love about food, how we got to where we are now.
Thanks again, what a way to finish up the summer, with a big bowl of homemade lavender ice cream!
Llamabean’s last blog post -> KSF fingerless glove update
Marie » If you find them let me know! I actually have a recipe for making Nipples of Venus in one of my books, but I haven’t worked up the gumption to try it. Candy making and I aren’t good friends yet, lol.
grace » Maybe… until they realized how delicious candied violets are, and then they’d be constantly trying to mooch off your supply.
How lovely!
Thanks for the updated RSS feed. I promise to still click through to comment. : )
Lauren’s last blog post -> Nie Nie Day
That looks delicious! You always come out with such original and ingenious recipes… mmmm
Very interesting recipe! This really smells/ sounds like SUMMER! ahhh!
Mmmm, how interesting! I’ve never tried lavender as a flavoring. It sounds delish!
I also wanted to say your honey and rose water ice cream looks heavenly.
JacqueOH’s last blog post -> Daring Bakers: Chocolate Eclairs
wow, this sounds like something I’d love to try!
I especially love the idea of the violet petals.mmmm
Bev’s last blog post -> mug cake
That looks so lovely and refreshing! I love lavendar, but I’ve never tried it in ice cream.
Rachel’s last blog post -> Happy Labor Day!
Lauren » Haha, thank you! I was worried about my comment numbers going down once I switched to a full rss feed, but I know full-posts are what most people prefer so I took the leap!
Natasha » Shucks! What a nice thing to say.
cookingenthusiast » It does doesn’t it? I served it at a dinner party last night and everyone LOVED it. Go lavender.
JacqueOH » Lavender tastes absolutely incredible, trust me.
And I’m glad you liked my honey & rose water ice cream recipe. I haven’t made that one in a while but perhaps that’ll be next on my list before Fall arrives!
Beautiful ice cream! I love the taste of lavender and cook with it often. But I haven;t heard of candied violets before. How interesting. I will have to check those out too.
sarah’s last blog post -> Tasty Mornings: Banana Pancakes
I’ve never cooked or baked with lavender before, but I really want to try! This looks amazing!
Deborah’s last blog post -> Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Fluffy Frosting
I love lavender! And your creation looks so enticing and delicate!
Anita’s last blog post -> Daring Bakers: Eclairs with Flair
Beautiful recipe!
Lavender…. mmm! It’s one of my newly discovered herbs. Such a distinct taste. This recipe sounds lovely.
Kait’s last blog post -> Tuesdays With Dorie: Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters
the idea and the look are totally irresisible!
One time a lady made cookies from it, its purplish crumb looked so romantic.
gattina’s last blog post -> Fig, ham & cheese brioche
Wow.. that looks heavenly
jessy’s last blog post -> Oreos
I absolutely never dreamed of cooking (or making ice cream) with lavender! How interesting! Yum!
Congratulations Ariela, on a simply beautiful website with inspirational posts and photographs! I especially love your breads - they are just so wonderfully delicious and beautifully presented. You have a marvellous eye for detail. Thank you! I’m off now to sign up to your feed…
Kathleen’s last blog post -> Bread making videos
I was looking for a good way to use the lavender that’s growing in my garden; you’ve just given me it!
Scott at Realepicurean’s last blog post -> Twitter Stuff
I am stunned, Ari. I can’t think of *any* Filipino dishes that use flowers! I find this post delightful and very educational!
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