Peony Perfection

There isn't one thing about peonies that I don't love. They are delicate from petal to root. Peonies look like lace, smell like an understated rose, and their petals feel like satin. If  there was a bed made of peony petals I think I might never leave it.

I think another part of what makes peonies so special is that they are only around for such a brief inhale of the year. I spend weeks watching them rise from the crumpled leaves leftover from fall, forming their tight little buds. I drum my fingers while the ants work their magic eating away the edges of the buds. Then finally on a quiet morning there they are.

I hurry them inside stashing vases of the blooms wherever I might be able to sneak a whiff. Then inevitably a thunder cloud rolls overhead smashing them all to the ground. And I have to wait until the next year to enjoy their presence again.

But I am not only writing this to pay tribute to one of my favorite flowers. This year as you may have noticed I am playing around with food a bit. I just finished the last drops of the lilac simple syrup the other day in a glass of lemonade, and it left me looking out the window.

Specifically at those gorgeous peonies. And I thought to myself, "Self, do you think that peonies might also be edible?" And in fact, they are. I found this website called What's Cooking America that gives a very comprehensive list of edible flowers. It talks about how peony petals can be sprinkled in salads, also in China they make a tea out of the fallen blossoms, and make a soup from the roots. Now, a tea is basically just an infusion when it comes down to it. So if you can infuse peony blossoms in tea then why can't you infuse them into other things too?

Before I dive in here I want to put out a word of caution. Don't eat flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides or are grown in soil that is anything less than organic. You don't want to be ingesting anything except the flower. Oh, and another thing. Peonies are also poisonous to cats, so don't let kitty eat any of them or you will have a problem on your hands. 

With that said, I have three different types of peonies growing in my yard. There is a dark pink variety, a light pink variety, and a whitish variety. The whitish one is by far my favorite. The petals on the outside are like a white that has been kissed by pink. The inside petals are all lacy and have the most subtle yellow hue to them. Then in the very center is the bright pink stamen. Besides being the prettiest, they also have the nicest smell. This is important because the smell is what is going to turn into the flavor when you make...

Peony Ice Cream with a Blackberry Honey Swirl

(Makes one quart)
*This recipe was inspired by Peter at cookblog from his lilac ice cream*

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
• 11/2 cups whole milk
• 12 large fully opened peony blossoms (The most fragrant you can find)
• 3 cups of blackberries (I used some I had frozen last summer from a friends patch)
• Honey (to taste)

Directions:

1. Pick the petals from six of the blossoms from the peonies. You don't want the stamen or any part of the stem. Wash them repeatedly. Besides ants, there will be other little bugs who are also very fond of these flowers. I'm assuming that most people don't want to be eating those little guys. So wash, wash, wash. I used my salad spinner, which seemed to do the trick.
2. Combine the heavy cream, the whole milk, and the petals in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir the petals into the cream until the cream is at a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and allow the petals to steep. After 30 minutes strain the petals with a fine strainer and repeat the process with the other six blossoms using the same cream. You are double infusing the cream to get a strong peony flavor.
3. While you are infusing the cream for a second time whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until they are light and fluffy. I used a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Once the eggs are fluffy, whisk in the sugar a little at a time until it is fully Incorporated.
4. Pour about a cup of the hot, strained, peony cream into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time (you are tempering the eggs here). Then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the peony cream. Cook the ice cream base over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (so that when you run your finger down the back of the spoon it leaves a line through the ice cream base). This won't take more than a few minutes so don't go anywhere, just keep stirring.
5. Once the ice cream base coats the back of a spoon lick the spoon, and remove the ice cream base from the heat. Transfer the base to a container and set it in the refrigerator until it is cooled completely. I suggest letting it chill overnight. Impatience is your enemy here.
6. Next make the blackberry syrup. Place the blackberries into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir them and smoosh them with a spoon until they are a pulpy mess. At this point add in the honey. I used about 1 1/2 Tbs of honey. I didn't put in a measurement under the ingredients because you may want it sweeter or not so sweet. I add in the honey and taste it until it is where I like it. Also some blackberries are sweeter than others, so you really have to keep an open mind about the amount of honey you plan on using. Once the mixture has come to a simmer remove it from the heat. Strain it to remove the pulp and the seeds. Store it until it is completely cooled in the refrigerator.
7. The next day freeze your ice cream base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
8. When the ice cream is at a soft serve consistency turn off the ice cream maker and place 1/3 of the ice cream into a container. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of the blackberry syrup onto the ice cream. Layer another 1/3 of the ice cream into the container and repeat with the blackberry syrup. Then put the last 1/3 of the ice cream on top of that. Take a knife and swirl the blackberry syrup into the peony ice cream gently. Don't over-do it or it will combine too much.
9. Once swirled to satisfaction place the container of peony ice cream into the freezer to harden. This will take 3-4 hours.

You can get a printable version of this recipe here.


So yeah, I went there, and I'm glad I did. The ice cream is all that I wanted it to be and a bag of chips. I think that ice cream makers are one of those toys you get (usually as a wedding gift) that either gets used all the time or ends up being a pricey dust collector. Most people can get really good ice cream fairly close to home. I find though that when we make our own two things happen; first, we get to make it how we like it. So if we want Oreos we get Oreos. The second thing is flavor creativity,  like peony ice cream with a blackberry honey swirl. I'd be willing to bet it's a flavor you won't be seeing in any store.