The Gourmet Cookbook's Ice Cream #7 {Lemon Meringue Ice Cream}

My family has a history with Lemon Meringue Pie. Everyone in the family loved it, but my Gramps loved it most! He used to ask for it on his birthday and then ask for it again any time we had a family holiday like Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. My mom would make two Lemon Meringue Pies, one for us to eat on the occasion, and one for my Gramps to take home with him.

Each and every time I see anything having to do with Lemon Meringue Pie, it becomes rather sentimental and makes me think of Gramps. I get a vision of him sitting at the head of the table taking the first bite of Lemon Meringue Pie and leaning his head back and closing his eyes to savor it. Then he would immediately begin singing my mom's praises over the pie.

I knew without a doubt when I started my ice cream series that I had to try my hand at Lemon Meringue Ice Cream. I kept putting it off because I knew it would be tedious and time-consuming, and it was! First, you have to make the meringue, which bakes for an hour, rests for an hour in the oven, and then rests and cools on the counter for another hour.

Once the meringue cools, you cut it into bite-size pieces and set it aside. Now it's time to make the lemon custard which consists of warming milk and cream with lemon zest and sugar before mixing it into 6 egg yolks and gently warming it on the stove until it reaches 170F. Once the mixture cools you add in the lemon juice and everything gets nice and tart! Then the custard has to chill for 3 hours.After the lemon custard chills, it's time to freeze it in your ice cream machine! Once the ice cream is frozen, you add it to a bowl and stir in the meringue pieces and then put all that into an airtight container and freeze until it hardens for at least 3-4 hours!

This Lemon Meringue Ice Cream is dead on Lemon Meringue Pie! The lemon ice cream gets a nice yellow color from the lemon zest and the eggs and it tastes almost exactly like the lemon curd in the pie. The meringue pieces are both crunchy and crispy and also chewy. They add so much fun texture to the ice cream! I'm not sure this is an ice cream for everyone, as you really have to love lemon, but I do love lemon and I enjoyed this SO MUCH! The ice cream is incredibly creamy and smooth and those meringue pieces are simply amazing and add so much crispy-crunchety texture to the ice cream. It is a delight for the senses and I think ol' Gramps would've just loved it!

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream

Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

by Ruth Reichl

Makes about 1-1/2 Quarts

For The Meringue

2 large egg whites

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

For Ice Cream

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 large egg yolks

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Make The Meringue: Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 250F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat whites and salt in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until whites hold soft peaks. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at medium speed, then beat at high speed until meringue holds stiff; glossy peaks, about 1 minute. Spread meringue into a 9-inch round on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringue stand in oven for 1 hour. Transfer meringue, on parchment, to a rack to cool completely. Peel off parchment and, working over a bowl, break meringue into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces.

Make The Ice Cream: Combine cream, milk, sugar, zest, and salt in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk yolks in a medium metal bowl until smooth. Add hot cream mixture to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then pour back into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to cat back of spoon and registers 170F on thermometer; do not let boil.

Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into cleaned metal bowl and stir in lemon juice. Cool custard to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to a bowl and fold in meringue then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 4 hours.

Cook's Notes: The meringue can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. The custard can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. The ice cream can be made up to 1 week ahead. 

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