Wild Rose Petal Ice Cream

I have a big announcement to make… Drum roll please!! My Stable Life is extremely proud to collaborate with a new guest blogger – Priscilla Unger, creator of Memories of Home. In her own words Priscilla is a homemaker, a homebuilder, a homesteader, and a homeschooler. And in her spare time, she is a hobby food creator. Priscilla has agreed to come on board with My Stable Life and share a few how-to recipes of her own that truly represent the country lifestyle. I get goosebumps just thinking about it!

So without further ado, let me introduce you to Memories of Home\’s first entry. Wild Rose Petal Ice Cream. Nothing screams Alberta summer better than this…!

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BY GUEST BLOGGER – Memories of Home

I could pretend that I\’m knowledgeable in the ways and palette of edible flowers, but that would be… well… complete barnacle.  All I know is that upon discovery of every beautiful and fragrant flower this year, much Googling ensues in a quest to find out if it\’s edible, and how it tastes.

I know – I should have discovered Wild Roses sooner.  Having lived in Alberta for most of my life, its symbol is proudly powder-coated on provincial license plates… I see it every day.  (I read recently that it became Alberta\’s official floral emblem in 1930).

Maybe because of the recent historic flooding in my home province, (or maybe just because often pretty things I look at become food-i-fied), the Wild Rose has compelled me to pick and gather the brilliant and fragrant petals from the bushes in our yard this summer.

RoseWater is easily made at home by pouring one part boiling water over four parts loosely packed rose petals and letting it steep for a couple of hours.  Look how beautiful the colour is.  And the smell…

I wonder why the ingredient has not become more popular here in North America…  Many people from around the globe use it as a common ingredient – as we would use fresh herbs. And as is the case with all plant organisms, claims of medicinal benefits are also well documented about the consumption of rose petals.

Rose petals inspire me to make gorgeous jelly preserves, chic marshmallows, and perhaps tea infusions in little sachets for gifts. But since is summer, Rose Petal Ice Cream seems like a fitting idea, and an elegant addition to any sweet menu.

If you do not have an ice cream machine, you can either buy one here, or use David Lebovitz\’s no-machine method as explained here.  Both options work well with this recipe.

WILD ROSE PETAL ICE CREAM
(makes approximately 1.5 L)

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, whisk together, and bring just to a slight boil:
2 cups of Whole Milk
2 cups of Heavy Cream
1/2 cup of Sugar
pinch of Salt
1 whole Vanilla Bean, halved and seeds scraped or 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Powder

In the bowl of an electric mixer, on low speed, combine:
6 large Egg Yolks
1/2 cup of Sugar

As the mixer is running, very slowly pour about half of the barely boiling milk mixture into the yolk mixture.  Return the combined mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture over medium heat.  Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (about 170˚-175˚ F).  Pour the custard through a mesh strainer into a clean bowl or storage container.  Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.

When you are ready to churn the ice cream, add the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Five minutes before the end of the mixing cycle, add:
2 Tbsp. homemade RoseWater  *optional  (see above for method)

Gently fold in:

1 – 2 cups of loosely packed, un-sprayed Wild Rose Petals

Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze to store.

Enjoy!