Lavender Peach Gelato Food

LAVENDER HONEY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat heavy cream, half-and-half, honey, and lavender flowers in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, stirring occasionally, until cream just starts to bubble. Remove from heat and cover; let steep for 30 minutes.
• Strain cream mixture into a bowl using a fine-mesh sieve. Discard lavender flowers. Clean saucepan and pour strained cream mixture back in. Heat over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk eggs and salt together in a bowl. Whisk in 1 cup hot cream in a slow stream.
• Pour egg mixture into the remaining hot cream in the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats the back of the spoon and reads 175 degrees F (80 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Chill, covered, for at least 3 hours.
• Freeze custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions, about 20 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer to firm up.

LAVENDER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the milk and lavender in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat until warmed through. Remove from heat, and allow lavender to infuse for about 20 minutes. Remove flowers.
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in large bowl. Whisk the lavender-infused milk into the egg mixture, then pour it back into the saucepan. Heat the mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours.
• Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions until it reaches "soft-serve" consistency. Transfer ice cream to a lidded container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should be place in the freezer at least 2 hours or overnight.

LAVENDER PEACH GELATO

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, combine the milk, cardamom pods and lavender. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds; add bean and seeds to milk mixture. Heat until bubbles form around sides of pan. Remove from the heat; cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain, discarding flowers and spices., Return milk to the heat; stir in sugar. Cook until bubbles form around sides of pan. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into the egg yolks. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly., Cook and stir over low heat until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Quickly transfer to a bowl; place in ice water and stir for 2 minutes. Press waxed paper onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight., Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. When gelato is frozen, stir in peaches. Transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

AMARETTO PEAR GELATO

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the pear or apple juice, amaretto, and 1/2 cup sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pears and poach for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a plate. Reduce the cooking liquid for 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Set aside to cool. Stir in the cream. Cover and refrigerate the pears and liquid separately until needed.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and salt. Heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat and cover to keep hot.
• In a blender or food processor, blend the 2/3 cup sugar and the egg yolks together until very thick and smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the hot milk.
• Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon, Remove the pan from heat and set it in a bowl if ice water. Stir for 2 minutes to cool the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
• Chop 6 of the pear halves, refrigerate the remaining 6 for serving. In a blender or food processor, puree the chilled custard and the chopped pears until smooth. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• To serve, arrange a pear half on each plate. Reheat the reduced cooking liquid. Scoop gelato on top of each pear half, spoon some of the reduced cooking liquid over, and garnish with chopped hazelnuts. Makes 1 1/2 quarts, serves 6.