Heaping Scoops

It has been a difficult summer for me. Packing up the old house and going through a renovation, and the subsequent cleaning that it generated. Finally, the kitchen is complete and the boxes have been broken down and discarded (we are never moving again). Now, I can get back to the business at hand – playing in the kitchen. I have missed almost two months of garden and farmer’s market offerings due to the fact I only had my grill functioning, and the counter adjacent to the sink in the mudroom was all work area the new house had to offer. I have done very little puttn’ up, which means I am in overdrive to try and catch up.

I have sorely missed making ice cream, not that I am saying I have spent half the summer season without the creamy, frozen concoction. No stove to make the custard base, a single freezer crammed with the items that were accommodating the temporary loss of my back-up unit; and, the general mess and debris floating through the air just did not make it conducive to have ice cream churning away – Rocky Road is not a favorite flavor. But, now, life has been dusted, vacuumed and repeated numerous times I felt it was safe breakout the ice cream maker – enough with comforting myself with a pint of someone else’s.  I may have also failed to mentioned, that my husband has a nightly requirement of three scoops and he has become accustomed to requesting a flavor or inquiring what combination I was working with – I hate to let him down, and only be able to dole out a commercial bowlful. So, with my yearning to score some love points and satisfy my need to freeze a summer moment I let it rip. I don’t think this quart will last more than a few days.   

Rose scented Geranium and Cinnamon Ice Cream - yields approx. 1-quart

2-cups heavy cream

2-cups half-and-half

2-cups sugar

5-rose geranium leaves

2 3-inch cinnamon sticks

6-egg yolks

In a 1½-quart saucepan add the cream, half-and-half, sugar, rose geranium, and cinnamon sticks, and over a low flame allow the sugar to completely dissolve.

In a work bowl beat the egg yolks until thickened and a pale yellow. Add to the warmed cream mixture, and cook over a low flame for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean work bowl, and refrigerator for a few hours for up to 24-hours. Then pour the chilled ice cream base into the freezer compartment of an ice cream, and proceed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Once the ice has set up transfer into a freezer container, and place in the freezer for an hour or two before serving.