Rose Chocolate Chip No-Churn Ice Cream

One day it's 2013, the next thing you know you take a bite of something cold and delicious and it's 1901 - the last reigning year of her Majesty Queen Victoria. To me food and memories go hand in hand so why not eat something and live in little in the past in our great, maybe great great granny's memories.

In Victorian times it was popular and respectable to be an amateur botanist. Knowing flower names and plant leaves was the thing and I think we should reclaim this heritage - I do! I like to imagine ladies of leisure in their gardens eating rose ice cream and so I've updated my own made-up vision/memory call it what you like to fit today's summery days and I'm replacing mint chip with rose chip.

The combination of cream and condensed milk makes this a very creamy, sweet, non-ice crystally dessert made without an ice cream machine, which makes it easy to whip up no matter where you are as long as there is a freezer. It should be savoured in small bowls just like a Victorian lady would have done post tea.  ♥

Rose Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

adapted from BBC Good Food No-Churn Ice Cream 

1 cup heavy cream/double cream (240 ml)

½ cup sweetened condensed milk (120 ml)

*¼ cup dried culinary rose petals (I used these)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract (3.5 ml)

1 standard size good quality milk chocolate bar, chopped into chips and flakes

In a saucepan pour the cream, condensed milk, and rose petals and heat on medium-low stirring to prevent scorching.  As soon as the boil is reached reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat altogether  Sieve the mixture into a glass or metal bowl and press down on the rose petals to extract as much liquid as possible. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled.  When ready add the vanilla and whip on medium-high until the mixture thickens and peaks have a slight droop. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and in a shallow dish pour the cloud-like mix and lightly smooth to about a ½ inch thickness.  Alternately pour in deep bread-like pan if doubling or tripling the recipe. Cover and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.  

*I don't have a digital scale that can give an accurate measurement for the lightness of the rose petals. There are 4 tablespoons in a US 1/4 cup so I would use four level (15 ml a piece) tablespoon scoops of rose petals.

Other ideas:

Trade milk chocolate for dark, omit the vanilla to strengthen the rose flavour, add fresh fruit, top with crushed up sugared rose petals, add a dash of rose liqueur. Or! Do what I did after seeing a glimpse here of the magical life of Haleigh. Make the ice cream with or without chips and sandwich between two macarons and freeze for a French ice cream sandwich. ♥

Credits: Most pictures taken by my lovely friend Katie Loewen.