Lemon Verbena Ice Cream Food

LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, warm the lemon verbena leaves with the milk, 1/2 cup (125ml) of the cream, the sugar, and a pinch of salt.
• Once warm, remove from heat, cover, and let steep for one hour.
• To make the ice cream custard, pour the remaining cream into a large bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water, and put a mesh strainer on top.
• Use a strainer or slotted spoon to skim the lemon verbena from the cream & milk mixture and squeeze the leaves to extract as much liquid as possible back into the saucepan, then discard them. Rewarm the lemon verbena-infused cream & milk, then
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together in a small bowl and slowly pour in the warm infusion, whisking constantly.
• Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan and cook, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula, until the custard leaves a trail on the spatula when you drag your finger across it. (If using a thermometer, it should read about 175ºF, or 79ºC.)
• Immediately strain the custard into the bowl of cream. Stir until cool.
• Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When done, crumble a dried verbena leaf in the ice cream, or finely-chop a fresh leaf and stir that in.

LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In heavy stainless-steel pot, combine lemon verbena leaves, half-and-half and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring, and remove immediately from heat. Cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
• In stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar. While continuously whisking, strain the half-and-half mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into the egg yolks.
• Return the mixture to the saucepan. Over medium-low heat, stir continuously with wooden spoon until custard thickens, about 2 minutes.
• Strain custard into a bowl that is sitting in a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and water. Add heavy cream. Cool and chill. Freeze in an ice-cream maker.

LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring verbena, milk, cream, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 30 minutes.
• Whisk together eggs and sugar until combined, then whisk in verbena mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil).
• Immediately strain thourough a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Cool custard, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes, then chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, about 1 hour.

LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM FROM A FRENCH COUNTRY HERB GARDEN

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, warm the lemon verbena leaves with all of the milk, 100ml of the cream and the sugar Press the leaves with the back of a wooden spoon to help the flavours release. Once warm, remove from heat, cover, and let steep for one to two hours.
• To make the ice cream custard, pour the remaining cream into a large bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water, and put a sieve on top.
• Use a strainer or slotted spoon to skim the lemon verbena from the milk and squeeze the leaves to extract as much liquid as possible back into the saucepan, then discard them. Reheat the lemon verbena infusion then whisk the eggs together and slowing pour in the warm infusion, whisking constantly.
• Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan and cook, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula, until the custard leaves a clear path on the spatula when you drag your finger across it.
• Immediately strain the custard into the bowl of cool cream and stir well until cool.
• Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve with fresh leaves for garnish and a little lemon syrup drizzled over for a flavour explosion!

LEMON VERBENA AND EARL GREY TEA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Make your Earl Grey tea, with loose tea or tea bags, if you must! Then add the dried lemon verbena, or 10 large fresh lemon verbena leaves, stir well and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.
• Put the freshly brewed Earl Grey tea, single cream and milk into a pan and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they thicken and pale. Remove the milk mixture from the heat, then whisk it into the egg mix.
• Put the whole lot back onto a gentle heat until it thickens, stirring very regularly. On no account should you let this boil, otherwise the eggs will scramble. Set it aside to cool with a dampened circle of greaseproof paper on the top, to stop a skin forming.
• When cool, either churn in an ice cream maker, adding the whipping cream towards the end of churning, or pour into a freezer-proof container, then cover it and freeze until half frozen. At this point, scoop it into a bowl, then whisk up the whipping cream and fold it into the ice cream. Put it back into the freezer until it is of ice cream consistency. You can repeat this as often as you can be bothered, to reduce the amount of crystals in the finished ice cream.
• Remove from the freezer at least 10 minutes before serving. Store for up to 3 months in the freezer.

LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring cream, milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon verbena just to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cover and let steep 2 hours.
• Whisk yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Return cream mixture to boil. Strain hot cream mixture; gradually whisk into yolk mixture. Return custard to same saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard is thick enough to leave path on spoon when finger is drawn across and thermometer registers 180°F, 3 to 4 minutes (do not boil). Immediately transfer custard to medium bowl. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to bowl. Cover; freeze up to 3 days.