Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Champagne Floats with Elderflower-Vanilla Bean Ice Cream


  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Ice Cream:

  • 1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste)
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of fine salt
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons elderflower liqueur (such as St. Germain)
  • 3 tablespoons elderflower syrup/cordial (I bought mine on Amazon)

For the Floats:

  • Elderflower liqueur
  • Ginger ale, chilled
  • Champagne, prosecco, or sparkling wine, chilled

Instructions

For the Ice Cream:

  1. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a saucepot. Add the cream, milk, sugar, and salt and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat.
  2. Beat the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stream in the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pot and place over low heat.
  3. Cook the custard, stirring constantly, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon).
  4. Remove from heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Whisk in the liqueur and syrup and cover the mixture with plastic wrap. Chill for a couple hours in the fridge and then process according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Freeze in an airtight container until firm. Soften for a few minutes before scooping.

For the Floats:

  1. Put a few scoops of the ice cream into chilled glasses and pour a couple tablespoons of the elderflower liqueur over top, followed by ¼ cup of ginger ale per glass. Top it off with the champagne and serve!