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4 Remove the ice cream from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.

JASMINE TEA ICE CREAM

makes about 1 quart; serves 8 • TIME: 30 minutes cooking, 4 hours refrigeration, 30 minutes churning, 2 hours freezing

Jasmine! This tropical shrub lends its exotic scent to many of the gardens and alleyways of downtown Charleston. One of the South’s most famous flowers also happens to be one of the best herbal seasonings there is, with a bright, euphoric perfume and flavor—not as brooding or wintery as bergamot, the Mediterranean citrus that flavors Earl Grey tea. Fresh jasmine blossoms are added to tea blends (both green and oolong teas, but mostly green) throughout Asia to perfume the tea leaves.

In the United States, jasmine is underutilized outside of the province of tea, which is a shame, given how readily accessible a jasmine tea bag is at the grocery store. We’ve seasoned custards with jasmine tea quite successfully; a sorbet is the next challenge on our list. Serve this ice cream by itself as a palate cleanser or with slices of fresh mango. Or feel free to experiment, matching its floral qualities with tropical and fruity flavors, for example making a jasmine tea milkshake with a vein of softened passion-fruit gelato swirled into it.

3 large egg yolks

2¼ cups whole milk

6 regular-size jasmine tea bags

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1½ cups heavy cream

1 Lightly beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl, and set it aside.

2 Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until small frothy bubbles begin to form on the surface, about 6 minutes and 140°F.

3 While the milk is heating, place the tea bags in a medium saucepan and add 2 tablespoons very hot tap water to soften the leaves.

4 When the milk has begun to froth, pour it over the tea and stir twice. Let steep for 2 minutes. Then remove the tea bags from the milk, pressing them lightly against the rim of the pan before discarding them.

5 Add the sugar and salt to the milk, and stir. Reheat the mixture over medium heat until it reaches 150°F. Then slowly pour the mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly, into the bowl of beaten egg yolks.

6 Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Add the heavy cream and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard just coats the back of a spoon, or a candy thermometer reaches 175°F, about 10 minutes. Transfer the custard to a pitcher or other container, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, until the custard is very cold.

7 Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the ice cream has the consistency of a very thick milkshake (depending on how cold your custard is and the type of ice cream maker you are using, this will take 15 to 30 minutes). Transfer the ice cream to a container with a tight-fitting lid and pat a sheet of plastic wrap directly over the surface. Cover the container and freeze the ice cream until it has hardened, at least 2 hours. (It will keep for up to 1 month.)

8 Remove the ice cream from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.

MINT JULEP PANNA COTTA

serves 6 • TIME: 45 minutes preparation, 1½ hours refrigeration

A spoonful of cool cream is the impression that a good panna cotta gives, without the roof-of-the-mouth-sticky impression of egg-based custards. We love the lightness and elegance of panna cotta (“cooked cream” in Italian), and like the Italians, we find that the dessert has an affinity for herbs—but only a touch, always in moderation. We’ve enjoyed sweet panna cotta gently seasoned with rosemary, but the one we developed with fresh mint is our household favorite. The vanilla-like character of bourbon adds its own inflection, but it’s almost optional. (The flavor of mint to us has a Pavlovian association with bourbon, so much so that we’re pretty sure we could get a buzz from mint tea!) This simple dessert is just the thing to finish a spicy meal of several courses.

1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder