Warm the dairy: In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, salt, and honey. Set over medium heat and warm until steaming, stirring to dissolve the honey. Do not boil.

Infuse with lavender: Stir in the dried lavender. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 10–20 minutes. Taste at 10 minutes; continue steeping if you want a stronger flavor.

Strain the mixture: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean bowl and strain out the lavender buds, pressing gently to extract flavor. Return the infused dairy to the saucepan.

Whisk the yolks and sugar: In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until thick and slightly paler, about 30–60 seconds.

Temper the eggs: Slowly drizzle about 1 cup of the warm lavender milk into the yolks while whisking constantly. This prevents scrambling.

Cook the custard: Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining dairy. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spatula, about 5–8 minutes. Aim for 170–175°F if using a thermometer. Do not let it boil.

Finish and chill: Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain once more into a clean bowl to catch any tiny bits. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until fully cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churn: Pour the chilled base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions, usually 15–25 minutes, until it reaches soft-serve consistency.

Freeze to set: Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded container. Press a piece of parchment against the surface to prevent ice crystals, seal, and freeze for 4 hours or until firm.

Serve: Scoop and enjoy. A drizzle of honey or a sprinkle of crushed shortbread on top is lovely.