image via Kitchen Fervor

Picture this: you’re three courses in to a dinner party, one step from the finish line, and all eyes are on the host.  Apps have been devoured, salads have been swooned over, cocktails were a smash and your main course just prompted a standing ovation.  What better way to end the evening than with a cool treat straight from the garden: homemade floral ice cream.

While it’s possible to make ice cream entirely by hand (recipes can be found here, here, and here), you might want to consider investing in an inexpensive ice cream maker. Unlike the industrial machines you may have seen on the Food Network, these require slightly more effort than dropping an ingredient into a chute. Having said that, they are a fraction of the price, won’t occupy an entire corner of your kitchen, and are a thousand times more reliable and delicious than the hand-churned contraptions you may remember from your youth.  Modern options from Cuisinart and other brands can all be had for less than $100 online. Once you’ve secured a machine, and found a base ice cream recipe you like (most machines include these in the user manual, or a simple vanilla version can be found here), take a look at this guide to edible flowers and let your creativity be your muse.

Jasmine-Citrus sorbet?  2 scoops of Chicory-Rosemary ice cream with a sprinkle of candied Fennel on top?  Experiment until you have just the right combination–if it takes you a few tries to achieve perfection, there are worse things than a freezer full of ice cream.

More delicate and subtle than the usual bowl of melting Rocky Road, your creation is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.  The perfect finale to your warm-weather fête, and a suitable occasion for you to take a bow.