Lavender ricotta ice cream

Lavender Ricotta Ice Cream

While I was at the farmers’ market the other day, I got distracted by all the dried herbs and blossoms, so I ended up coming home with some dried lavender.  Having never used lavender in anything but my flower bed, I’ve been looking all over the internet for something wonderful to do with it.  This ice cream fit the bill very nicely.

I was a bit worried that the taste would be overwhelming, but it’s not.  The ricotta base is infused with the lightest taste of the lavender.  In fact, it’s so subtle that you might not even realize it’s in there.  I can see someone wondering “What is that?” with every bite and not quite figuring it out.  It’s really a lovely end to sunny day.

{one year ago:  chocolate chip cookie dough dip}

Recipe:  Lavender Ricotta Ice Cream

(slightly adapted from Cooking Light)

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. water

1 tsp. dried lavender blossoms

3 c. part-skim or whole-mild ricotta cheese  (I used part-skim and it was perfectly creamy.)

2 Tbsp. honey

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.  Boil about 45 seconds or until sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat and stir in lavender blossoms.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve to discard blossoms.  Cover and chill at least one hour.

Combine ricotta cheese, honey, and salt in a food processor; pulse until smooth.  With the processor turned on, slowly add lavender syrup.  Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.  Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze to desired consistency.