It’s finally Fall and everyone is ready for pumpkin-spice season. While I definitely love myself a Starbuck’s PSL, I feel a little sad knowing that the blooms and blossoms of summer are slowly withering away in the unforgiving cold of impending winter.
As you may know, I am seriously in love with floral-infused everything. I keep a bottle of Monin lavender syrup for summertime lavender lemonades and HEMA elderflower syrup for mid-winter pick-me-ups on hand at all times. This past spring, I spied a limited edition Elderflower and Black Currant Icecream at my local grocers. Naturally, I bought every pint they had. 💁🏻
Then I ate it all. As one does.
It was soooo yummy, and I’m not quite ready to let go of my summertime florals, so I decided that I should and could learn to make it myself!
Now, considering that I have a tiny Paris kitchen, there is no way I have room for such an unnecessary contraption as an icecream maker. Leave it to fellow tiny Paris kitchen owner David Lebovitz to come up a creative solution.
Now, onto the recipe:
If you’re feeling particularly adventurous you can even harvest your own elderflowers and do a DIY cordial — Jaimie Oliver has a great little recipe with easy to follow instructions on how to harvest the flowers and make the cordial. But be aware, elderflower season is short — from May to late June.
Ingredients:
300 grams blackcurrants, washed and destalked
2 tablespoons water
275 grams caster sugar (superfine)
250 mL whole milk
250 mL double cream
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons lemon juice
250 mL elderflower cordial
- Put blackcurrants, water and sugar in a pan. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until currants are soft and syrupy. Allow to cool, then puree the fruit until smooth. Place in a sieve to remove any bits and bobs for an extra smooth puree. Set aside.
- Warm milk and double cream together in a pan. Add egg yolks and whisk until well combined. Cook over low heat whisking continuously for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
- Once custard has cooled, stir in the puree, followed by the lemon juice and elderflower cordial. Put the mixture into a stainless steel or other freezer-safe container. Place in the freezer for 45 minutes.
- Once frozen around the edges, remove the mixture from the freezer and stir vigorously with a spatula. Return to freezer.
- Continue to check the mixture every 30 minutes, stirring vigorously as it’s freezing. (Or use a handheld mixer if you have one).
- Keep this up every 30 minutes for the next 2-3 hours until ready!
- Enjoy a few scoops or the whole batch. I’m not here to judge.
my little paris life. 