Combine heavy cream, whole milk, honey, and culinary dried lavender buds in a saucepan and heat until steaming, with tiny bubbles forming around the edges. Pull the saucepan off the heat and steep for 15-20 minutes, watching for a fragrant floral aroma.

Strain the infused cream through a fine strainer to remove the lavender buds, pressing gently until most liquid passes through.

Reheat the strained cream until steaming, then immediately remove from the heat so it stays hot without boiling.

Whisk the steaming cream slowly into the egg yolks to temper them, keeping the stream steady to prevent scrambling. Stop whisking once the mixture looks smooth and lighter in color.

Return the custard to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches 175°F, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Keep the temperature controlled so it stays silky.

Strain the custard again to ensure a smooth texture, then stir in vanilla extract and salt until fully incorporated.

Add a drop of purple food coloring if desired for a lavender hue, then mix until the color looks evenly distributed.

Cool the custard completely until no longer warm to the touch, then refrigerate for 4 hours to chill thoroughly.

Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until it becomes a thick, soft-serve consistency, with increased volume and a pale purple appearance.

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, with no visible liquid or soft edges.