Sweet and tart cherry ice cream with a floral, fragrant note from lavender. This no-churn lavender cherry ice cream has never been more delicious or easy!
2 cups (1/2 lb or 225g) sweet cherries, (fresh or frozen), pitted*
2 tablespoons (30ml) water
2 teaspoons (5g)cornstarch
1 teaspoon (5ml) lemon juice
1tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried lavender
1/3 cup (66ml) whole milk
2 cups (480ml) very cold heavy cream,place heavy cream in the freezer 15 minutes before whipping
1/2 14-ounce can (198g) sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
To Make Cherry Sauce: In a medium saucepan, whisk together cherries, water, lemon juice, cornstarch and granulated sugar until combined. Place the saucepan over the medium heat and cook until it starts to thicken. Make sure to stir frequently during the cooking process. Once it’s thickened, remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
To Make Lavender Infused Milk: Combine milk and dried lavender in a small saucepan, then bring the mixture slowly to the boil. Reduce from the heat, cover the saucepan and allow the mixture to steep for 15-30 minutes. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the milk (to prevent a skin from forming) and place the milk into the fridge to cool completely (it’ll take about 2 hours). When it’s cool, strain the lavender out of the mixture and reserve the milk. Store the lavender infused milk in the fridge until ready to use.
To Make Lavender Cherry Ice Cream: In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peak forms. Pour the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream, followed by cherry sauce, lavender infused milk, vanilla extract and salt and fold together with a spatula until well-combined.
Transfer the mixture to a chilled loaf pan or any kind of container, wrap up tightly with a plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
Notes
*If you use tart cherries (or sour cherries), you can skip the lemon juice and use 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in making cherry sauce.