Cool ~ Creamy ~ Lemony

This lemon ice cream might be the best recipe I've ever posted. (Did I, by any chance, also say this about the Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins?) And it is possibly the easiest. Four ingredients whisked together, poured into a pan and popped in the freezer. It's a perfect mix of tart and sweet. It only makes three cups but it's very rich, so tiny servings are appropriate. 

A friend just called to ask a question as she was stirring this up. I had shared the recipe with her before I got it posted to the blog. She also said her husband asked what she was making and when she read him the ingredients he said, "That doesn't sound good to me." One of my son-in-laws—the one who doesn't like citrus— would agree. (UPDATE: Turns out my friend's husband loved this!) 

I forget that there are people in the world who do not like lemon. So when I say "best" what I really mean is "the best" to me.  And it also might mean what's "best" to me on that particular day. No judgement if you don't agree. Differences are what make us more interesting.

I'll quit telling you about this ice cream now...other than to say "go make some!"

NO-CHURN LEMON ICE CREAM

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 

1 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

Whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and salt in a large bowl. In a measuring cup whisk together milk and heavy cream. Slowly pour into lemon/sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Pour into 8-inch square metal pan. Cover tightly with foil and freeze for 2-3 hours until frozen around the edges and soft in the middle. Take out of freezer and stir well. Cover with foil and freeze again for about an hour. Scoop into chilled bowls to serve.

This recipe came from Dori Sanders, an 85-year-old African-American Southern author who lives not so very far from where I live. Her first novel, Clover, was a best seller in 1990. Such a good story. It would still be a good read decades later. (It's on my bookshelf. Might be time for a re-read.) She is also a food writer and peach farmer. Her own life is quite a story, too. I haven't read her cookbook where you'll find this ice cream recipe. But I just added it to my online shopping cart.