Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh verbena leaves (or dried verbena, if fresh not available)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Optional: a splash of elderflower cordial for added floral notes
- Fresh mint leaves or edible flowers for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by bringing 1 ½ cups of water to a gentle boil. Add the fresh or dried verbena leaves to the boiling water, and let steep for approximately 10 minutes until fragrant and vibrant. Strain the herbal liquid and let cool.
- While cooling, combine the remaining ½ cup of water with the sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Mix the cooled herbal infusion with the sugar syrup, then stir in the lemon juice. Add elderflower cordial if desired. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish or ice cream maker bowl.
- If using an ice cream maker, churn until smooth. For manual freezing, freeze and whisk every 30 minutes for 3-4 hours until scoopable.
Notes
- Ensure the herbal infusion cools completely before combining with the sugar syrup for best flavor and texture.
- You can substitute dried verbena for fresh—use half the quantity.
- For a vegan version, use vegan-friendly sugar and optional natural sweeteners like agave nectar.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezing / Churned
- Cuisine: British Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 90 Kcal
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg