Active Time

　　1 1/2 hr

　　Total Time

　　3 1/2 hr

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8 (makes 40 profiteroles)

　　

For ice cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

　　1/2 cup half-and-half

　　1 tablespoon dried lavender leaves (pesticide-free)

　　5 large egg yolks

　　5 tablespoons honey

　　1 tablespoon Benedictine liqueur

　　

For profiteroles:

3/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

　　1 cup water

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　1/8 teaspoon salt

　　3/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　4 large eggs

　　

Special equipment:

Special equipment: parchment paper and large pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip

　　

Garnish:

confectioners sugar

　　

Accompaniment:

chocolate sauce or warm honey

　　

Make ice cream:

Step 1

Bring cream, half-and-half, and lavender just to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Pour through a fine sieve into a measuring cup. Whisk together yolks, honey, and Benedictine in a bowl, then add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour custard into pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and a thermometer registers 175°F (do not let boil).

　　

Step 2

Pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and cool. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.

　　

Step 3

Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

　　

Make profiteroles:

Step 4

Preheat oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 5

Bring butter, water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring, until butter is melted. Reduce heat to moderate and add flour all at once, stirring. Cook, beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, forming a ball, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with wooden spoon after each addition.

　　

Step 6

Transfer mixture to pastry bag and pipe 20 mounds (about 1 1/4 inches in diameter) about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Bake profiteroles in upper third of oven 10 minutes.

　　

Step 7

Reduce temperature to 300°F and continue to bake until outside of puffs are crisp and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer profiteroles on baking sheet to a rack to cool. Increase oven temperature to 400°F and make another batch in same manner.

　　

Step 8

Halve each profiterole horizontally with a serrated knife and sandwich a small scoop (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) ice cream between halves (or pipe it with pastry bag). Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and drizzle with chocolate sauce or honey.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　•Custard can be chilled up to 24 hours.

　　•Ice cream may be made 2 weeks ahead.

　　•Profiteroles may be made 1 day ahead and recrisped in a 350°F oven about 5 minutes, or 1 month ahead and frozen in an airtight container (recrisp as above).