Meadowsweet Cream

Ingredients:

500ml milk
handful of fresh meadowsweet flowers (pick well-opened flowers well away from the main stem)
2 eggs
50g sugar
1 tbsp cornflour

Method:

Strip the flowers from the stems (the stems can make the mixture bitter), place in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.

Add the milk to a pan, bring to a boil then take off the heat and pour over the meadowsweet flowers in a bowl. Set aside to infuse for 1 hour. After this time strain through a sieve, pressing down with the back of a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible.

In the meantime, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornflour and a little of the milk until smooth. Now beat this mixture into the remaining milk then pour into a saucepan and heat gently, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to boil.

At the first sign of boiling take the mixture off the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Continue whisking constantly until cold (this ensures the cream is smooth) and use as the base for a dessert topped with compote.

This cream can also be warmed as a drink.