(#8) CUCUMBER ROSE: Floral & Ethereal

If you're in the mood for something delicate and delightful, cucumber rose is your flavor.  Fresh, floral, light, and pretty, too.  

Scoopsies' Cucumber Rose

3 full ORGANIC rose heads - divided

2 English cucumbers, pureed

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup whole milk

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

3 teaspoons rose water

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 tsp guar gum

1. Wash, peel and de-seed cucumber and chop into pieces. Pull off base of two roses leaving only the petals. Thoroughly wash petals and pat dry.

2.  Combine the cream, milk, milk powder, and salt in a medium sized saucepan, and stir well to dissolve.  Add cumber pieces, 2/3rds of the rose petals and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep for one hour.

3.  Warm the cream mixture over medium-low heat. Beat egg yolks with sugar, rose water and vanilla extract until thick and light yellow in color. Slowly beat about one third of the warm cream mixture into the eggs so they gradually warm up, and then add the egg mixture to saucepan stirring constantly. Continue stirring, reaching all parts of the bottom of the pan, until the mixture reaches 170°F on an instant-read thermometer or when the mixture begins to emit steam, thicken slightly and coat the back of the spoon. (You can run your finger along the spoon and it a clear line is drawn then it’s ready). This should take 3-6 minutes – be careful it doesn’t boil because you don’t want your eggs to scramble!

4. Pour the mixture into a hot liquid storage container and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the mixture (no lid) until it is completely chilled.

5.  Right before churning your ice cream wash and pat dry the remaining petals. Break petals into small pieces.

6. Strain the mixture to remove the original cucumber and rose petals. Then freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. After churning transfer to an airtight storage container, layer with petals and freeze until hard- typically 4 hours or more.