Jane Austen Lavender Earl Grey Ice Cream Sandwiches & SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
It’s always a great time to read or watch anything by Jane Austen, but February feels particularly appropriate for a Jane Austen marathon. Not only is Valentine’s Day around the corner, but we’re in the thick of winter and could use some quality time cozied up by the fireplace with Austen’s smart dialogue and captivating storylines.
When I found this Jane Austen cookie cutter, I couldn’t resist making ice cream sandwiches. This homemade Lavender Earl Grey Ice Cream is the perfect winter ice cream. The Earl Grey is strong, but the lavender balances out the taste with a sweet undertone. Combined with the honey shortbread cookies, one bite is like a delicious sip of tea.
The Lavender Earl Grey ice cream is simple and straightforward to make, and you can whip it up in just a couple of hours. The Honey Shortbread cookies are flaky, buttery, and honestly can hold their own without ice cream. Together they are a match made in Jane Austen heaven.
Sense and Sensibility was first published by Jane Austen in 1811, following the story of the three Dashwood sisters and their widowed mother. When Mr. Dashwood passes, the women have to leave their home due to a sudden lack of finances and move into Barton Cottage, bringing them new experiences of heartbreak and love.
The novel was turned into a movie in 1995 and stars Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson. Directed by Ang Lee, the film received seven Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Actress. In addition to starring, Emma Thompson wrote the screenplay and won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. The emotional ups and downs in this movie (and novel) are worth indulging in an ice cream sandwich, Jane Austen-shaped, no less.
Jane Austen Lavender Earl Grey Ice Cream Sandwiches
Serves: 8 | Cooking time:1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
Lavender Earl Grey Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup honey
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
6 egg yolks
5 tablespoons loose leaf Lavender Earl Grey tea
Honey Shortbread Cookies
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ cups butter, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey + 1 tablespoon honey for brushing on cookies
2/3 whole milk
Method
Lavender Earl Grey Ice Cream
Combine the heavy cream, whole milk, honey, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
Very slowly pour the milk mixture into the egg yolks, a small amount at a time, whisking the egg yolks quickly so that they don’t heat too much to the point where they cook and become scrambled. Do this until the egg yolk mixture is warm to the touch and enough milk has been added.
Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and mix together with the remaining milk mixture. Add the Lavender Earl Grey tea and simmer over low heat.
Allow the tea to steep and the mixture to become nappe (when you lift the wooden spoon out of the mixture, run your finger across it. If there is a streak and the mixture isn’t dripping into it, you’re good to go).
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate overnight or for four-five hours if you need it day-of. If you want to use it immediately, cool the liquid down in an ice bath by filling up a bigger bowl with ice and water. Place the bowl with the mixture in it and whisk, allowing it to cool down.
Once the custard has completely cooled, churn it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once the mixture is churned to the point of thick ice cream, use a spatula to pour the ice cream into a parchment-lined sheet tray. Flatten the ice cream so that it is about ½” thick. Freeze until the ice cream is completely solid, about 1-2 hours.
Honey Shortbread Cookies
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the butter, brown sugar, and honey together until combined and smooth.
Add in the flour mixture and whole milk and mix until combined.
Bring the dough together and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
After chilling in the fridge, remove the dough. Pre-heat the oven to 350° Place the dough on flour-sprinkled parchment paper. Sprinkle more flour on top of the dough, and cover with parchment paper.
Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until ¼” thick. Cut out with your desired shape (in my case, Jane Austen), and place the shortbread cookies on parchment-lined sheet tray.
Heat the tablespoon of honey in the microwave for 8-10 seconds. Brush a light layer of honey on top of the cookies.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before adding the ice cream!
Ice Cream Sandwich Assembly
Once the shortbread has completely cooled, remove the ice cream tray from the freezer.
Place the Jane Austen cookie cutter on top of the ice cream, and using a knife, cut around the cookie cutter. Using an offset spatula, lift the ice cream out of the tray and place on the cookie. The bottom cookie will actually be the top, so once you've covered the ice cream with the second cookie, flip the ice cream sandwich over. Serve immediately or wrap in plastic and freeze until ready to eat.
© A Dash of Cinema