Limoncello Lemon Swirl Ice Cream

Jul 2

Jul 2 Limoncello Swirl Ice Cream

So, let’s set the stage. It is the summer of 2020, COVID-19 has disrupted everything about our lives and we’re staying home. Vacation: not happening, dinners out: not likely, going to the ice cream shop: no longer fun. Ice cream however, still VERY fun. Ice cream is also something you can very easily make at home as long as you have an ice cream maker. I would argue that an ice cream maker is an extremely worthwhile investment, particularly in these times, when we all need a bit of a treat to help us stay home. When you make your own ice cream, you can make it however you like, extra bonus points.

A few weeks ago the HusBen brought home limoncello ice cream sandwiches - and well, that was amazing. Later that week, when I was looking up ice cream recipes and found one on Pass the Sushi for limoncello gelato - it felt like it was calling my name. I’ve adapted the recipe here to share with you.

For limoncello or lemon curd, you can absolutely use store bought. If you’re feeling like you want to make all the components yourself, please have a lemon bonanza: recipes are linked.

Adapted from: Pass the Sushi

Ingredients:

3 cups half and half

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup limoncello

1 cup lemon curd

Graham crackers (optional)

Start by putting your half and half in a sauce pan on medium heat. While it gets going you can get on with your eggs.

Separate your eggs and do what you will with your egg whites because you will not need them for this recipe. Combine the yolks with the sugar and salt in a decent sized mixing bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy.

Once the half and half is hot and steaming - but definitely not yet boiling - add about a half a cup to the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Once the first bit of half and half has been stirred in, slowly pour the rest into the bowl of egg yok and sugar, whisking continuously.

Put this mixture back into the sauce pan and return to medium heat. Bring it back to that hot and steaming phase while whisking until it gets just a tiny bit thicker. It should just coat the back of a spoon but it won’t be pudding like. This usually takes me about five minutes.

Pull the mix off the heat and chill it down for 6+ hours or overnight. You can also toss it in the freezer to rush it along if you have less time, I’ve chilled it less than 4 hours that way. Once it is cold, stir in the limoncello, and freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions.

Swirl the lemon curd into the soft frozen ice cream by layering 1/3 of the ice cream in a dish, followed by 1/3 the curd, and then swirling a spoon around in it. Repeat until you’re out of ice cream and curd. Pop it in the freezer for a few hours or overnight to get it really firm and scoopable.