The inspiration for this ice cream began when I had a similar flavor at a local artisan ice cream shop. The sweetness of fennel and the floral notes from the Ylang Ylang essential oil just sang to me. And because I can source grassfed cream from the same local farm, making our own version was a no brainer. It is good….no REALLY good. It is silky, sweet, and luxurious. The addition of the candied fennel seeds also gives it a delightful crunch…as well as that green color (as I explain below). We have made it with regular fennel seeds too and it is just as yummy, but I prefer the candies. It makes about 5-6 small servings and that is more than enough for this really rich and satisfying dessert.
Ylang Ylang and Fennel Ice Cream
1 pint heavy cream (grassfed)
1 can organic sweetened condensed milk
1/4 C candied fennel seeds
3 Drops fennel essential oil
3 Drops Ylang Ylang essentially oil
Whip the cream, condensed milk, and oils to soft peaks and transfer to the freezer or an ice cream maker. Sprinkle with more candied fennel seeds for a crunch. It is a deliciously decadent and silky smooth ice cream! Oh and the green color is due to the constant rotation of the ice cream in our ice maker and transference of the candy dye. Regular fennel can be used as well, just toast them first for the best flavor. Enjoy!
