Lemon And Basil Ice Cream Food

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.

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 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.

CREAMY LEMON POPS WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Have a 10-pop (1/3 cup each) popsicle mold (or similar size) ready. Using a vegetable peeler, strip the zest of 3 lemons, taking care to leave the white pith behind. Finely grate the zest of the remaining lemon. (Save the remaining lemon juice for other use.)
• In a small saucepan, combine the zest strips, basil leaves, sugar and 1/2 cup water, then heat over medium. Cook, stirring, just until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cover and let steep for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Strain the sugar mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large glass measuring cup, pressing the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
• Add the cream, milk, salt and the finely grated lemon zest, and stir to combine. Add a few berries to each popsicle mold, if using, then distribute the cream mixture evenly among the molds. Cover and freeze for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, add the popsicle sticks and continue to freeze until solid, at least 8 hours.
• To unmold, briefly dip the mold in hot water a few times just until the pops can be pulled out.