Basil Lemon Ice Food

LEMON BASIL SORBETTO

Steps:

• In a small sauce pan, combine 2 cups water, the sugar, basil sprigs, lemon zest and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Strain the syrup into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Once partially frozen, sprinkle in the basil leaves and continue to freeze until firm. Pour into an airtight container and place in the freezer to freeze completely.
• Serving option: Scoop 1 or 2 small scoops of sorbetto into a coupe glass and top with a splash of prosecco.

BASIL-LEMON ICE

Steps:

• Bring the juice of 5 lemons and 3/4 cup each sugar and water to a boil. Add 1/2 cup basil leaves and the zest of 2 lemons (in wide strips) and steep, off the heat, 45 minutes; strain. Add 2 cups cold water, then pour into a baking dish and freeze 1 hour. Meanwhile, hollow out 6 of the juiced lemon halves and freeze. Scrape the ice with a fork; freeze 4 more hours, scraping every hour. Serve in the lemon cups.
• SERVES: 4; Calories: 159; Total Fat: 0 grams; Saturated Fat: 0 grams; Protein: 0 grams; Total carbohydrates: 42 grams; Sugar: 39 grams; Fiber: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 6 milligrams

LEMON-BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature.
• Add the basil to the sugar syrup and muddle the leaves with the base of a wooden spoon. Let steep for 1 hour. Strain the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish (discard the basil). Stir in the lemon juice and vodka, if using. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 2 hours. Scrape with a fork to form small crystals in the ice every 30 minutes to an hour until the mixture is fully frozen, about 1 hour more.
• Serve the granita in chilled glasses, garnished with the small basil leaves.

BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring milk, basil, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, then remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender (reserve saucepan) and blend until basil is finely ground, about 1 minute.
• Beat together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Add milk mixture in a stream, beating until combined well. Pour mixture into reserved saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 175°F on thermometer (do not let boil). Immediately remove from heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir until cold, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in cream and freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.

LEMON AND BASIL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the milk just to the boiling point, then add the basil leaves and lemon rind. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour.
• Beat the sugar and yolks together until pale and fluffy. Strain the milk, pressing the basil and lemon rind to extract any last bits of flavour. Stir this into the egg and sugar mixture.
• Put your bowl on top of a sauce pan of simmering water. Stir the liquid in the bowl constantly until it thickens slightly. If you scrape the back of a spoon through the mixture and it leaves a path, your custard is ready. Immediately pour it into another bowl and leave to cool.
• When cool, add the lemon juice to the custard. In a separate bowl, beat the cream lightly. When the cream has thickened, add to the custard mixture.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker, stopping three times during the freezing process to beat the mixture with an electric beater.