Lemon Meringue Ice Cream
The memory of certain taste sensations linger long past the moment we experience them. Such is the encounter I had with this tangy ice cream. Nearly sixteen years ago I stumbled upon this recipe in Gourmet magazine. I was intrigued by the concept of incorporating meringue into an ice cream. The original recipe calls for making the meringues from scratch, which is what I did the first couple times I made the ice cream. Then, one day I came across these cute little meringues on the cookie shelf at the market. A lightbulb went off. Why not shortcut the work, use the store bought version and eliminate the baking step altogether. They worked perfectly in the recipe – in fact they remained crisper than the homemade meringues.
This is such a satisfying and refreshing frozen treat. The tart taste of lemon dazzles the tongue, followed by a slight crunch as you bite into a piece of crispy meringue. Just as your brain thinks it is eating a bite of lemon meringue pie, the frozen citrusy cream tells a different story.
A second lightbulb went off while I was typing this post. The next time I make this recipe, I think I will start with a pre-baked pie crust. After churning the ice cream I would freeze it in the pie shell. That way, all three elements of a Lemon Meringue Pie would be present. Huh, I might just have to give that one a try.
When a warm summer day screams for ice cream, why not have your pie and eat it to.
Lemon Meringue Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 3/4 ounces vanilla meringue cookies, broken into bite size pieces
In a heavy saucepan bring cream, milk, sugar, zest, and salt just to a boil, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, beat yolks until smooth. Whisk approximately a cup or so of the hot cream mixture into the yolks in a slow steady stream. Whisk the yolk and cream mixture back into the pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170˚F. Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Cool custard. Cover the cooled custard and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until cold.
Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream to a bowl and fold in the meringue. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in the freezer to harden.
Yield: 1 1/2 quarts
Source: Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Mary, this is lovely! Fluffy bits of meringue in ice cream is such a wonderful idea!
You can never go wrong with Meringue!
Love it! sounds so refreshing, especially when it it 90 degrees here in N.C.
This looks too good! To say I admire your blog would be a huge understatement. I’m not sure how I missed the iced Cinnabon scones, but I may have to make them tomorrow! I always think of you when baking and made really good shortbread cookies with a homemade strawberry jam middle that you may be interested in. Can’t wait for the next post!
Thanks so much Megan for all your kind words and for being so dedicated to my blog. I love and appreciate the support. Shortbread is one of my favorite sweets, and yes I would love the recipe. I think you will definitely enjoy the Cinnamon Bun Scones. Please let me know how they turn out for you. XX
Sounds like this ice cream has an inviting texture and paired with the delicious flavors of lemon meringue….irresistible! I enjoy lemon-anythings – will have to try this with some Meyers. 🙂 Beautiful images and blog!
Thanks so much Cristina!
So waiting for a certain missy to return home from camp and make this. This recipe even is causing her brother to anticipate her return!
Wow, that’s saying a lot. Maybe her brother would like to make a batch of ice cream as a little welcome home surprise as she returns from camp. Word has it, he is quite competent in the kitchen as well. Wink, wink – nod, nod! 😉
This looks amazing!!! We would love it if you would link up at our We Scream For Ice Cream linky party/giveaway:
http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/we-scream-for-ice-cream-linky-party/
Live the whole month of July.
Hosted by:
http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/ Parrish @ Life with the Crust Cut Off
http://thissillygirlslife.com/ Dana @ This Silly Girl’s Life
We hope to see you there!
This is ice cream sounds amazing and refreshing! I think you should give that pie crust idea a go!
I made this replacing the meringue with vanilla bean cookies. The ice cream tasted exactly like lemon meringue pie. So refreshing for summertime. Thanks Mary once again. I love your blog!
So glad you tried the recipe Tracy. You have inspired me to consider other additions to this recipe. Blueberries are a wonderful compliment to the flavor of lemons. I’m thinking maybe a swirl of blueberry preserves or jam throughout the ice cream. Hum?
Wonderful idea! I may have to give that idea a try as well. I can’t believe it’s already August. Prime time to make some ice cream. 🙂
[K]
What a lovely idea! This looks beautiful, we included it in our Feature Friday post today for Ice Cream Recipes! Would love for you to check it out http://returntothetable.net/recipes/15-ice-cream-recipes/
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