Stopping at the Christmas Hill Berry Farm out of Deloraine is a chance to try one of the 30 odd sweet berry ideas they have on the menu of the rustic café. Of great interest was the Lust Dust. Freeze-dried raspberries and icing sugar mixed together to sprinkle on your desserts. A taste sensation.

Ingredients

Lavender Icecream

• 8-10 heads lavender
• 1½ cups cream
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ cup caster sugar

Raspberry Icecream

• 2 cups cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 6 egg yolks
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 500 gram bag frozen raspberries, defrosted

Method

Lavender Icecream

1. Put the lavender and cream into a saucepan and bring slowly to scalding point. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the lavender
2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and very light in colour. Gradually stir the hot cream into the egg yolks. Return the cream to the saucepan and stir constantly over a low heat until the custard has thickened. Strain, cover and chill overnight.
3. Place the chilled custard into an icecream machine and churn until the custard forms icecream. Store in a covered container in the freezer.

Raspberry Icecream

1. Put the cream and vanilla essence into a saucepan and bring to scalding point. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and very light in colour.
2. Gradually stir the hot cream into the egg yolks. Return the custard to the saucepan. Stir constantly over a low heat until the custard has thickened and will coat the back of a spoon (see Cooks Tips).
3. Strain, cover and chill overnight. Puree the raspberries in a food processor and sieve to remove the seeds. Stir half the cold raspberry puree into the cold vanilla custard. Place in an icecream maker and churn until the custard forms icecream. Store in a covered container in the freezer.

To Make a Terrine

1. If wished the icecreams can be layered into a terrine. Make both to icecream stage. Line a 5-6 cup capacity terrine with plastic wrap and press ½ the raspberry icecream into the base. Top with the lavender icecream and then cover with the remaining raspberry icecream and return to the freezer for 24 hours before serving.

Cooks Tips

If you cook the custard as in the recipe directly over the heat, make sure it is low and that you never once stop stirring. It is a faster option. Normally an egg custard is made in the top of a double saucepan so that you can cook the custard until it thickens without any fear of scrambling is, over a too high a heat. This is a preferred method if you are new to icecream making or maybe wish to have a safer option. Add a few picked, washed mauve lavender petals to the lavender icecream before freezing for decoration if wished. If you do not have an icecream machine, place the chilled custards into a freezer-proof bowl and place in the freezer. After 4 hours, remove and beat well with electric beaters until thick. Return to the freezer and repeat this once more and then leave to freeze until firm. Best eaten within 10 days