"Elinor advised her to lie down again, and for a moment she did so; but no attitude could give her ease; and in restless pain of mind and body she moved from one posture to another, till growing more and more hysterical, her sister could with difficulty keep her on the bed at all, and for some time was fearful of being constrained to call for assistance. Some lavender drops, however, which she was at length persuaded to take, were of use; and from that time till Mrs. Jennings returned, she continued on the bed quiet and motionless."
This treat is a little unorthodox, but delightful to make. I made the lavender earl grey ice cream following Joy the Baker's recipe, and I knew I wanted something for Sense and Sensibility. But lavender and earl grey, as prim as an English garden, still didn't quite encompass Marianne and Elinor's opposing personalities. And from that came the idea: why not add the tea ice cream to actually tea? A tea... float? So I made a cup of earl grey tea, and added a dollop of cold ice cream. Oh my Austen! It was like adding cream and sugar in a single scoop, and the contrasting temperatures are as sweet as the Dashwood sisters.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
4 Early Grey tea bags
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
1. Mix the heavy cream, milk, and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar has melted and the milk is steaming slightly.
2. Take off the heat, add the Earl Grey and lavender, and cover. Let the Earl Grey steep for five minutes with a, then discard and let the lavender steep for another ten. Pour through a sieve to remove lavender.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the warm milk mixture, beating continuously.
4. Put the mixture back onto the heat, and stir continuously until it's thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour through a sieve again into a large bowl and stir in the vanilla.
5. Chill for 3 hours, and then make according to ice cream machine's instructions.
For the Float:
6. Make a cup of Earl Grey tea, and add a scoop of ice cream, and voila!
Happy Baking!
