I have wonderful memories of hot summers and homemade ice cream that go back to my childhood. In my mind I can clearly see our old hand crank ice cream freezer that we had to fill with rock salt and ice and work on in teams – one person to sit on the freezer and the other to crank until exhaustion set in. There was one hard and fast rule to all this – no cranking, no ice cream – so everybody pitched in and shared the work.
Life is easy now and all that’s necessary to make luscious ice creams and sorbets is good ingredients and a little patience, along with a nifty new freezer that does the churning on its own. I prefer a cooked custard ice cream base because eggs add a rich, creamy texture and mouth feel to the finished product. I found this recipe for Lemon Curd Custard ice cream at A Feast for the Eyes and its now one of my favorites. Debby’s lemon curd is a breeze to make and is just the right balance of sweet and sour in this luscious dessert. This recipe reminds me of the the wonderful pudding that my mother used to make where the cake rises to the top of the dish and lemon pudding settles to the bottom. Is this one of your favorites too? If it is you will love this ice cream.
Lemon Curd Custard Ice Cream...from A Feast For the Eyes
3 large eggs yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch Salt
1 cup half and half (I used whole milk)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup lemon curd (store bought or homemade, see below)
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Pour the half-and-half and cream into the top of a double boiler and heat over barely simmering water until hot, but not boiling. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
Note: I carefully heated the milk and cream in my microwave, being careful not to let it boil. Slowly pour some of the hot cream into the eggs to temper them. Slowly add the rest of the hot cream, whisking constantly till smooth. Return to the double boiler and cook over medium-low heat until thick and bubbling around the edges. I used direct heat, and was very careful to stir constantly and to keep the temperature to medium-low. It took about 15 minutes for the custard to thicken, so be patient.
The custard will coat a wooden spoon. Run your finger through the custard on the spoon. If the line remains separate, it’s ready! Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a metal bowl (don’t skip this step). Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Whisk 1 cup of lemon curd into the chilled custard. Turn on the machine, and pour the cream mixture into the canister of your ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
Transfer ice cream to a shallow container, cover with plastic wrap and a tight fitting lid and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
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{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
This ice cream looks delicious. I wish I could have a scoop…!
I can't resist this! Summer is here. I must enjoy ice cream. This one looks very delicious….mmmm. I'm copying the recipe
Thanks very much for sharing. MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com
Sweet and sour sounds fantastic. I finally got a new ice-cream freezer too, to help me remember some of the charms of childhood. This sounds like a great recipe to try.
I have seen a recipe like this before and didn't copy it down! I lurve lemon curd and the ice cream sounds devine! The photography of this is so funky too…love it! Joni
I'm one of those any thing lemon people, so I can't think of anything better than lemon ice cream.
Mimi
This ice cream sounds and looks delicious. I have lemon curd in the freezer right now, maybe I should make some ice cream. I make my lemon curd in the microwave, so easy. Then I freeze extra for later use.
Fantastic presentation. Those holders are just too cute!
Lemon is one of my favorite flavors.
Mmmm…perfect looking ice creams! Love the lemon flavor and your presentation
I know I will love this ice cream and am bookmarking it for future treats. Your photos are fantastic too.
My husband was just talking about his families hand crank freezer growing up. They had 11 kids and all got a turn with the cranking
Your zinnias are so beautiful. Your ice cream looks delicious. I love all things lemon.
Hot summers and homemade ice cream…I am not sure it gets any better
Happy ice cream day to you!
Cathy!! I'm back and trying to catch up and this is the first thing I see!! YUM!!! I'll be trying this one as I have an ice cream maker to review….!!
xoxo Pattie
That is so cute! Very creative! And I want to try that ice cream too! It looks wonderful!
Hmmm, I really like lemon curd so I think that I would very much enjoy this ice cream. I tend to stick with the old favorites, but I need to stretch a bit or how else will I find my new favorite? Thanks for the recipe!
I love lemon pudding and I am extremely sure I would love your lemon custard ice cream! Fabulous presentation, love what they are resting in. Vases? Pitchers? Love them!
So nice to meet you. I think you have the most spectacular picture of ice cream I have seen yet! Love the juxtaposition of the yellow and white against the black and white. Lemon curd is one of my favorite foods and I have used it in frosting, but not ice cream. I am printing off this recipe right now. I am spending this week making people's recipes like I always want to, but don't get around to and going to post them! This is going to be a favorite of mine I can already tell.
This sounds amazing…and I do love lemon!
I just signed up to follow…:)
Waw!! This ice cream recipe is a real treat & home made lemon curd,…waw!!!
Another 2 recipes to try!! oooh,..;yes!
I love lemon curd and I cannot wait to try this! I am so glad to get a recipe for ice cream. LOL, I have never had so many recipes for ice cream at one time!
Oh how yummy! Great recipe!
Cathy, Oh my, another fabulous ice cream recipe. My printer is working overtime for this ice cream social! I will be enjoying some great ice creams – I love lemons, lemonade, lemon sorbet and I think I will also love lemon custard ice cream. Thank you for sharing this recipe. And by the way, love your first photo – nicely done!
Beth
Hi Cathy….this ice cream looks wonderful…I have an ice cream maker with the bowl sitting in my freezer for probably the last 5 years….I may have to get it out and try this…Hope your having a great weekend with all the good stuff you bought to eat the other day….
Cathy what a great addition to the Ice Cream Social! I really need to try this soon. I actually have some key lime curd on hand. I can just imagine how that would taste! I just love that picture and those cool vases! Quite the creative presentation. I'm so glad you joined me today. Its been such a great time seeing what everyone brings to the Social!
Gorgeous photos!
Cathy, this is the perfect thing for summer and it looks incredibly delicious! You brought back so many wonderful memories of making ice cream years ago and it reminds me of all the great ice cream socials when I was a kid. Thanks!
Mercy, that looks good!
Looks fantastic! and the perfect treat for our heat wave. Really love lemon and this recipe must be right up my alley.
Rita
What a gorgeous treat for a hot summer day. I adore lemon anything and find these cones irresistible. What a fantastic photo. I hope the day treats you well. Blessings…Mary
Nothing says summer more than ice cream. What a gorgeous photo and beautifully presented too.
Sam
Sounds and looks wonderful. Can't believe I forgot to bring my ice cream maker with us to the beach house. Of course everyone who visited asked for the blueberry cream cheese ice cream (David Lebowitz recipe). Love his book.
Joyce
The Great Dane's favorite flavour is lemon. I'll be pulling this recipe out one day soon.
If I had to use a hand-crank freezer I wouldn't be making any ice cream!
The Lemon Curd Custard looks yummy…love anything lemon!
Your presentation is so cute..what an imagination!!
Cool pics, I bet it is delicious
Sorry, but I hold you totally responsible for my weight gain. This is a must for the ice cream freezer. Larger size (clothing), here I come.
Best,
Bonnie
Okay, you totally win the cutest photo of ice cream ever!!!
Awwwwwwww, Cathy! So glad you liked this ice cream. It's our favorite flavor of this season. I need to whip up another batch, myself, as it's all gone. Lovely photo, too… love the dishes and the backdrop. Thanks for the shout!
I love lemon and I know I would love this flavor! I'm saving a copy of the recipe to try. Thank goodness we don't have to crank to get delicious ice cream any more!
Beautiful photos, and a truly yummy sounding ice cream-enjoy!
Great memories of making ice cream with your family. I know I would love this…creamy lemon ice cream sounds perfect:)
I can imagine how much amusement your getting from your ice cream maker…and to make such a delicious flavour is certainly a bonus.
I've made no secret about my love for lemons. I guess this recipe will have to be tried out in my kitchen too.
Thanks for sharing such freshness ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
With a heat index of 110, this looks soooo good! I will have to try it for I love lemon curd!