Guide to Making Flower-Flavoured Soft Serve Ice Cream
Here’s a detailed guide for making flower-flavoured soft serve ice cream — from ingredient selection to machine tips — so you can capture the delicate floral notes without overpowering the dessert.
1. Choosing Your Flowers
Edible flowers must be culinary-safe (never sprayed with pesticides). Common choices:
Lavender → Sweet, slightly herbal, pairs with vanilla or honey.
Rose → Classic romantic aroma, works well with pistachio or strawberry.
Hibiscus → Tangy, cranberry-like flavour; good for sorbets.
Jasmine → Light, sweet, exotic; pairs with coconut.
Elderflower → Fruity, pear-like taste, great with lemon.
Chamomile → Soft apple-honey note, calming profile.
Tip: Start with one flower per batch until you learn its strength — some are potent in tiny amounts.
2. Prepping the Floral Flavour
You can extract flower flavours in three main ways:
A. Infused Cream or Milk
Heat your cream/milk to 80°C (175°F) — hot but not boiling.
Stir in fresh or dried petals (generally 1–2 tbsp dried or 3–4 tbsp fresh per 500ml liquid).
Cover and steep for 15–30 minutes.
Strain well through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to remove all plant material.
B. Floral Syrups
Combine equal parts sugar and water.
Simmer with petals for 10–15 minutes.
Strain and cool.
(Great for hibiscus, elderflower, and rose.)
C. Floral Extracts or Hydrosols
Use sparingly: ½–1 tsp per litre of base to avoid overpowering the ice cream.
3. Soft Serve Base Formula
A good starting base (makes ~1 litre):
500ml whole milk
250ml heavy cream
150g sugar
30g skim milk powder (improves creaminess)
2 egg yolks (optional, for richness)
1–2 tbsp corn syrup or glucose (prevents iciness)
Floral infusion (from Step 2)
Pinch of salt
4. Making the Mix
Whisk together milk, sugar, skim milk powder, and salt.
Heat gently until sugar dissolves.
If using egg yolks, temper them with some hot milk, then return to the pot and cook until it coats a spoon (~82°C / 180°F).
Add cream and floral infusion.
Chill the mixture completely (ideally overnight) to allow flavours to meld.
5. Churning in a Soft Serve Machine
Pour your chilled mix into the soft serve machine.
Set to dispense at -4°C to -6°C (24–21°F) for that classic airy texture.
Serve immediately for best flavour and texture.
6. Pairing & Presentation Ideas
Lavender Vanilla → top with white chocolate curls.
Rose Pistachio → sprinkle crushed pistachios on top.
Hibiscus Lime → swirl with lime sorbet for colour contrast.
Jasmine Coconut → add toasted coconut flakes.
Elderflower Lemon → serve with candied lemon peel.
7. Storage
Soft serve is best eaten fresh, but you can:
Store in piping bags in the freezer, then thaw slightly before serving.
Or churn fresh batches from pre-chilled mix as needed.
