2 c. (450 g) water (can be halved, see below)
2 c. (400 g) sugar (any white sugar will do)
3 quarts (3 L) of freshly picked lilac blossoms in full bloom
1 c. (240 g) whole milk
2 large eggs (105 g)
½ c. (100 g) additional sugar (granulated white)
1 c. (250 g) whipping cream (35% fat)
outer zest of one lemon (3 g)
Remove the florets from the blooms, yielding about 4 c. (160 g).
You'd think volume measurements would be inaccurate, but lilac blossoms
are quite springy and strong-willed about retaining a certain shape and
volume.
Try to make sure you exclude any green stems, but don't panic if you
include a few.
As I said, this is the most labour-intensive part; I did it while binging
two TV episodes.
Rinse the florets in a fine-mesh sieve until they rinse clean.
Reserve a few for garnishes.
In a small saucepan, bring the water and the first quantity of sugar
to a boil. Reduce heat, add florets (they will form a floating mat,
but eventually sink), and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
Many people add black currants or blackberries at this point to add
colour.
Turn off the heat and let steep covered for 8 hours.
At this point, you should have at least 2 c. (0.5 L) of lilac
simple syrup. Try tasting it, to see how lilacky it is.
You should only need half of it (1 c. or 0.25 L) for what follows.
You can freeze the rest, or keep it for up to a week in the fridge,
using it for cocktails or other recipes.
You are now ready to actually start making ice cream.
Whisk the rest of the sugar into the eggs until slightly thickened
and pale yellow. If we were adding flour, this is where we would
whisk it in.
Heat the milk to 80°C (170°F) in a small saucepan, whisking
constantly. You can do this at very high heat if you have the nerve
and attention, or at moderate or low heat if you do not.
Pour the milk into the eggs slowly, while whisking the eggs to
distribute the heat quickly and minimize curdling.
Pour the whole custard back into the pot and bring back to 80°C
(170°F). Remove immediately from heat, and set aside to cool
slightly.
If you're new to ice cream making, or unsure, pass the custard through
a sieve to check for and remove any curdled bits.
Stir in the whipping cream, and mix thoroughly.
Stir in the lemon zest and 1 c. (250 mL) of the lilac simple syrup,
and mix thoroughly.
I did this in thirds, tasting after each step; your flavours may
vary. Remember that the flavours (and in particular, the sweetness)
will be greatly reduced during the chilling process, so it's okay
if they seem strong at this point, as long as they are balanced.
Place in freezer for at least an hour, monitoring temperature occasionally
and stirring. Try to get the temperature down to about 4°C (39°F),
to save time later in the ice cream maker. If it gets much lower than that,
and gets too solid, let it warm back up a bit.
Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s ingredients.
Place soft ice cream in a freezer for at least an hour to set, and bring out
to warm back up (if it's too hard) several minutes before serving.
Garnish with reserved (edible) lilac blossoms.