When I was a small girl, we often visited an ice cream shop by the name of Grunnings, and when I wasn’t ordering the Banana Ice Cream, I was ordering the Lemon. I have searched for decades for an ice cream that replicated that smooth, creamy, sweet and oh-so-slightly savory flavor — and this recipe delivers!
Yield: About 1 quart
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons packed finely grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
- ¼ cup BCOO Lemon Fused Olive Oil, plus more for serving
- Flaky sea salt, for serving
Instructions
- Whisk egg yolks together in a medium nonreactive bowl; set aside. Combine cream, milk, sugar, 3 teaspoons lemon zest, and the salt in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to bubble around the edges. Ladle about 1 cup of the cream mixture into the egg yolks and whisk vigorously to temper the eggs.
- Pour the egg and cream mixture back into the pan and whisk well to combine. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
- Slowly stream in the lemon juice and olive oil while whisking constantly, then whisk in the remaining 1 tsp. lemon zest. Chill the mixture in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Just before churning, whisk the mixture thoroughly. Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, press plastic wrap against the surface, cover, and freeze until firm. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of flaky salt, and lemon zest. Delicious over fresh fruit crumble or pie!
Notes
We use a KitchenAid ice cream attachment stored in the freezer when not in use. If Lemon Olive Oil isn’t your thing, try a mild Arbequina EVOO for a subtle richness, or Blood Orange Fused Olive Oil for something more mellow.
Have you tried a drizzle of balsamic on ice cream? We highly recommend our Ice Cream Lovers Tasting Collection!
Shop This Recipe
- Lemon Fused Olive Oil — the star of this recipe
- Alonso Arbequina EVOO — a mild, buttery alternative
- Ice Cream Lovers Tasting Collection — balsamic drizzles made for ice cream