Rose Geranium Ice Cream Recipe – by popular demand

Ok, it’s only been 7 months since my last post.

I was invited to my friend’s house for dinner, and she asked me to make Basil Ice Cream. I didn’t have any basil and didn’t feel like buying any, but I remembering smelling something interesting on the path outside my house.

I marched outside, shears in hand, and identified Lavender and Rose Geranium. Since I had a recipe for Lavender Ice Cream, I figured it must be time to adapt it for Rose Geranium Ice Cream.

I looked up a few recipes, most combine it with honey. Some with strawberries. I used a combination of this recipe from the blog Kale & Caramel and David Lebovitz’s recipe for Lavender Honey Ice Cream from the tried-and-true book The Perfect Scoop.

The ice cream came out beautifully. The flavor was strong, but not overpowering. Definitely unusual and unique. I served it with a simple blueberry sauce (cooked frozen blueberries with some sweetener and cornstarch) as a counterpoint to the strong floral note of the rose geranium.

The instant my mom posted that I was making this online, everyone clamored for the recipe. 🙂

Rose Geranium

Rose Geranium Ice Cream

1 cup washed fresh Rose Geranium leaves, about 8-10 leaves – I picked mine fresh from a bush outside
2/3 cup (160 ml) honey – you can use a strongly flavored honey (such as avocado or cotton flower) if you want
2 cups (500 ml) cream – I use 1 cup 15% and 1 cup 38%
1 cup (250 ml) milk
A pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
5 egg yolks
A splash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice – add more to taste

Note: Gently “massage” the Rose Geranium leaves as you put them in the pot to release more of their natural oils.
In a small saucepan or pot, combine the washed Rose Geranium leaves with the honey and 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream. Heat until warm (but not bubbling), stirring so the honey completely melts. Turn off heat and cover, steeping for at least an hour (or longer, to strengthen the flavors). The leaves will brown as they steep.

Put 1 cup (250 ml) of cream in an ice bath (fill a large bowl about 1/3 with cold water and ice, place a smaller bowl with the cream inside), with a strainer on top.  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together.

Warm milk, salt, sugar, and the remaining 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring to combine. Remove pan from heat, and slowly add to egg yolks, whisking to prevent curdled yolks. Transfer the egg yolk mixture back to the pan and cook until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Immediately pour the custard mixture into the chilled cream. Cool the ice cream base to room temperature, then add the Rose Geranium infused mixture (leaves included).

Chill the mixture thoroughly. Before churning, fish out the Rose Geranium leaves, pressing each one to extract any remaining liquid, then freeze mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

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About Natan S.

Natan is a founding member of Theater in the Rough, an group of community minded actors dedicated to bringing quality, affordable theatrical experiences to the Jerusalem audience. Natan also works as a freelance web programmer, and writes about food (mainly ice cream) in his spare time.

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