Your mention of Lavender Lemon Sorbet got my mouth watering so I searched for and found a great recipe for it. I’ve made it quite a few times already and find that it’s not only delicious, it’s very easy to make, and so refreshing on a hot day.

LAVENDER LEMON SORBET
4 cups of water
1 cup of sugar
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 – 3 teaspoons of culinary dried lavender blossoms

In a medium saucepan mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes
Refrigerate for 4 hours or chill in an ice bath
Strain the mixture to remove all solids and pour into an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
Any edible purple blossoms or thin strands of lemon zest would make a beautiful garnish for this sorbet.
NOTE: When I store the finished sorbet in my freezer it usually freezes too hard to serve easily. I recommend setting the container of frozen sorbet out at room temperature at the start of a meal. It should be softened slightly by the time you serve it for dessert.

This sounds delicious. We can’t wait to give it a try. Another nice combination is a lavender and lemon sorbet.

HONEY LAVENDER ICE CREAM

Makes about 1 quart

If you don’t like lavender it can be omitted from the recipe or replaced with a vanilla bean. But in that case you’d have to call this ice cream something else ……

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dried lavender blossoms
1/3 cup honey
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, and honey. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain mixture through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth, reserving milk and discarding lavender.

Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Add half of the milk in stages to the egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended to “temper the eggs”. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in the cream. Strain mixture into a medium mixing bowl set in an ice-water bath. Let stand until chilled, stirring from time to time. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Store in an airtight plastic container up to 2 weeks. NOTE: the color of the lavender blossoms will not appear in your finished ice cream but the flavor and aroma of lavender will.

You sound like our kind of people!

I grew up in the south, so I know how fragrant the magnolias can be. I’m literally overwhelmed at the fragrance of the lilacs. So incredible.