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.

Violets

• 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.

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.

As a child, popsicles were the highlight of my summer. I loved those tall, blue popsicles shaped like rockets that the ice cream man brought in his musical truck, and the Kool-Aid pops I made with my mom. I didn’t discriminate when I came to finding a cool treat to lick while basking in the hot sun. The best days were when I could enjoy a pop after a hard day of building moats in the backyard and commanding my Golden Retriever, Daisy, to guard our imaginary fortress. She wasn’t a very good guard dog, but she did try her best, and I rewarded Daisy’s efforts by letting her finish my popsicles. One must be magnanimous, after all.

Though adults and children alike enjoy pops, I think there’s a special connection between childhood and popsicles. Perhaps this is because they were invented by an 11-year-old boy. His name was Frank Epperson and the year was 1905. He liked to create novel drinks by experimenting with soda powder and flavors from the local grocery store, and one evening he forgot a little glass, filled with soda and garnished with a stick, on his back porch. That night San Francisco experienced the “Big Freeze,” with temperatures dropping below 32 degrees F, so in the morning Frank found a popsicle where his soda had been. He called it an “Epsicle,” after himself. Many years later, when Frank was a grown man with a wife and children of his own, he remembered this childhood experiment while operating a lemonade stand at a local amusement park. Not long afterwards he began selling his creation as “popsicles” - so called because his children would ask for Pop’s sicles.’ Not surprisingly, the treats caught on.

Some historians have disputed Epperson being credited with the invention of the popsicle. They point out that, as far back as 1872, two men named Ross and Robbins sold frozen-fruit confections on sticks, which they called the Hokey-Pokey. They took their products around town in bicycle-propelled carts and were called “hokey pokey men” by the locals. Other historians note that Italians have been selling granitas for ages, and isn’t that a fairly similar concept? Whatever the argument, the fact is that Epperson’s story has stuck, probably because he was the first to mass market the idea.

Today we can find popsicles of every variety in our local supermarket, but I think the best ones are made in your kitchen. It’s not just about the taste but about the pleasure of making them, perhaps with someone you love, or while listening to some old-time big-band music, as I was doing yesterday. Tomorrow I might just make a batch of Banana Split Pops - I’m feeling decadent!

The photograph above features the pops I made earlier this week: Peach Cream and Coconut. (The tubes sticking out on the sides are built in “straws,” so you can drink any melting juices.) Both popsicles were mentioned in my last post, where I was giving away two copies of the book from which these pops come: Pops! Frozen Treats for Everyone. 171 (!!) people participated in the raffle, and I’m happy to announce that RuthL and Mara were the lucky winners! I will be emailing both of you shortly, so check your inbox, and as for everyone else what can I say except thank you for participating & I wish I had more copies to give away. They’ll be more chances to win free books though, never you fear. Indeed, everyone seems to enjoy these ‘raffle’ posts so much that I’m considering giving away one book a month. Keep an eye on the sidebar!

As part of this week’s raffle everyone voted on which popsicle recipe I would share, and the winning recipe was for Coconut Pops. I was pretty happy with this result because, I have to admit, between the two this one was by far my favorite. See the book review below to learn more about each recipe and also about other recipes featured in the book.

Book Review: Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone is exactly what you want in a summertime book - creative, fun and accessible. With recipes for frozen treats like Kiwi & Strawberry Pops (with whole slices of kiwi frozen inside), Blueberry Cheesecake Pops, Sugar Pumpkin Pops and Mimosa Pops, there is an abundance of unique, exciting recipes in this book. I was immediately drawn to the Coconut Pops and Peach Cream Pops (made with peach nectar and slices of fruit). Both were satisfying after a long day at work, sitting out on my patio and enjoying a bit of frozen goodness. The coconut pops rivaled Edy’s, which are my favorite brand of ‘freezer section’ coconut popsicles. As for the peach cream pops - there was a lot of promise there. These pops were created by layering the nectar/fruit mix with a cream mix made with yogurt and milk. The top layer, with the nectar, was amazing. However, the bottom layer of “peach cream” just wasn’t sweet enough. Next time I make these I’ll be adding sugar or some other sweetener to the cream mixture. That, I think, would be perfection.

All of the recipes are imaginative and easy to follow. Each one is introduced by a short story from the author on the top of the page, and most are accompanied by a mouth watering photo. I especially loved how the author included variations for every recipe. For instance, the recipe for Cookie Dough Pops lists 5 variations, along with instructions, at the bottom of the page. These variations include: Waffles & Ice Cream Pops, Peanut Butter Cookie Pops, Ginger Snap Pops, S’Mores Ice Cream Pops and Cookies & Cream Pops.

Overall this is an excellent book that’s certain to add a bit of refreshing fun to your kitchen. You’ll learn how to create a variety of tasty treats while also learning how to give your popsicles a more exotic look: layering colors, embedding fresh fruit, and even making your own molds. Have fun!

Chapters include: Healthy Energy Pops, Fruit Juice Pops, Soda Fountain Pops, Cream and Pudding Pops, Coffee and Tea Pops, and Cocktail Pops. Also included are sections on ice pop ingredients, essential tools, techniques and presentation.

Coconut Pops
Reprinted with permission from Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone by Krystina Castella.

Ingredients: Makes six 8-ounce pops or eight 6-ounce pops

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups coconut milk, homemade or canned; or 3 cups coconut water (see note below)
• 2 cups fresh (best) or dried shredded coconut

Step 1: In a saucepan, combine the milk and sugar and stir over low heat for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar; be careful not to scald the milk. Stir in the vanilla extract and let cool to room temperature.

Step 2: In a bowl, combine the coconut milk or coconut water, the shredded coconut, and the milk and vanilla mixture.

Step 3: Pour into the pop molds. Insert the sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours.

Step 4: Remove from the freezer; let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before removing the pops from the molds. Enjoy this coconut delight.

Notes:

To make homemade coconut milk: Put 2 cups grated coconut meat (from 1 coconut) and 3 cups hot water in a heatproof bowl. Let soak for 1 hour. Pour the coconut milk through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl.

To obtain coconut water: Coconut water is the liquid in the center of a fresh young (green) coconut. Drive 2 nails into the coconut, then remove them and drain the water out of the coconut into a bowl.

Variations:

Coconut & Banana Pops: Replace 1 cup of the coconut with 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas. Add the mashed bananas in step 2.

Coconut Curry Pops: Omit the vanilla extract. Gradually add red, green or yellow curry paste to taste plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves and 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice in step 2.

// Edit: 7.31.08 - I’ve received a few emails from people asking me how to grate fresh coconut & am posting the answer here in case anyone else is wondering!

After you have drained the coconut (incidentally, you can use a drill instead of 2 nails to drain the coconut) crack it open and bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. You must drain the coconut before you do this.

The baking process will crack the remaining shell. You can now remove it, carefully, using a screwdriver or oyster knife. Once that’s off, you need to remove the brown husk clinging to the white meat - do this with a vegetable peeler. Give the meat a little water bath to remove any remaining bits of husk.

You can use a box grater to shred the meat, but if you have a food processor with a grating attachment that’s the easiest way to go.