Gardenia Ice Cream

• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, opened up, seeded (include seeds in mixture)
• 3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you prefer less sweet)
• Petals of 2 or 3 Gardenias (wash them well, use fruit and veggie wash if you can find it to remove pesticides. If store-bought, watch out for wax in center, use only outer leaves if they waxed it) Cut leaves up. Home grown gardenias are best.

1. Bring milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds, half of the sugar, and chopped gardenia petals to a simmer in heavy saucepan (at least 2 quart in size), stir to melt sugar, remove from heat and let the flavors develop for 30-45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk 8 egg yolks and remaining sugar till blended and lighter in color. Sugar substitutes like Splenda MAY work. I have used Whey Low Ice Cream Sugar(low carb, low calorie, and natural) and it works perfectly.
3. Add about 1/3 of the heated mixture slowly to the egg yolk mixture, whisking while adding. (this keeps egg from clotting) Then whisk all of egg mixture into cream mixture. Reheat, whisking continually, bring to simmer, but not a boil. Whisk and heat until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. A spoon dipped into mixture should stay lightly coated, and a finger run down the center should leave a line in the custard. Remove from heat. Put custard into a bowl in an ice bath (partial sink of water with ice works, to cool it quickly) Stir every five minutes or so. When cooled off, strain, put covered in fridge for several hours or overnight. Then use your ice cream maker. Freeze it to "soft-serve" consistency, put in another container, and put in freezer to finish. This recipe can be used unfrozen as a custard cream sauce to pour over fruit, cakes, put in fruit crepes, etc...

cream, milk, vanilla bean, sugar, well

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/gardenia-ice-cream-1218184 (may not work)