Profiteroles with Honey Lavender Ice Cream

Make ice cream:

• Bring cream, half-and-half, and lavender just to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Cover pan and let lavender steep for 1 hour.
• Pour through a fine sieve into a measuring cup.
• Whisk together yolks, honey, and Benedictine in a bowl, then add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour custard into pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and a thermometer registers 175°F (do not let boil).
• Pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and cool. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Make profiteroles:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Bring butter, water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring, until butter is melted. Reduce heat to moderate and add flour all at once, stirring. Cook, beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, forming a ball, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with wooden spoon after each addition. (Or you can do this in a standing mixer.)
• Transfer mixture to pastry bag (see Cool Tip) and pipe 20 mounds (about 1 1/4 inches in diameter) about 1 inch apart on a large baking sheet lined with a non-stick baking sheet.
• Bake profiteroles in upper third of oven 10 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 300°F and continue to bake until outside of puffs are crisp and golden, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer profiteroles on baking sheet to a rack to cool.
• Increase oven temperature to 400°F and make another batch in same manner.

Assembly:

• Halve each profiterole horizontally with a serrated knife and sandwich a small scoop (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) ice cream between halves (or pipe it with pastry bag).
• Drizzle with chocolate sauce or honey.