It was very wet in Sydney this weekend.  I combatted the bleak weather by wearing red lipstick and gumboots, and making an ice cream designed especially for rainy days.

Earl Grey Ice Cream
Adapted from the Blackcurrant Tea Ice Cream recipe from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop

1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
2/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup French Earl Grey tea leaves
5 large egg yolks

Warm tea leaves, milk, half the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cover and set aside to steep for 1 hour.

Rewarm the tea-infused milk.  Pour the remaining cup of cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.  Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream, pressing gently on the tea leaves to extract the maximum flavor from them, then discard the leaves.

Chill and then churn in an ice cream maker for 30 minutes.