In some circles, there’s this thing called “ice cream season.” I don’t run in that circle. Ice cream is always in season, darling. With winter finally coming to an end, I’m switching gears to lighter, brighter spring flavors. And, I don’t think any flavor is lighter or brighter than lemon.
Homemade Lemon Curd Ice Cream is a flavor I created for my husband’s birthday one year. It’s creamy, dreamy, and so pleasantly tart. The fresh lemon flavor really shines thanks to the addition of lemon curd to the ice cream base and fresh lemon juice right before churning. If you’re a lemon lover, you have to make this Lemon Curd Ice Cream!
Just to be clear here, I mean ice cream. Not sorbet or sherbet. When’s the last time you saw lemon ice cream at the store? I’m guessing never. You need this in your life.
Of all the desserts in this world, I think ice cream might just be my favorite. Not just to eat, but to create. I’m always coming up with flavor ideas and scribbling them down, but this flavor was actually my husband’s idea! Thanks, honey!
Homemade Lemon Curd Ice Cream
About that birthday dessert: At Jason’s request, I made lemon scones, lemon curd, and lemon ice cream. We split the scones open, smeared them with lemon curd, sandwiched them together with lemon ice cream, stuck a candle on top and had the most incredible, tart and tangy birthday dessert. Oh man it was so good.
The changing seasons always influence my food moods. Lemons and thyme are both on my springtime flavors list, and the other day while making a batch of homemade Lemon Curd I decided to toss in some thyme — on a whim of course — and I really loved the subtle herby taste it added. Lemons and thyme are such complimentary flavors, and while you might think the idea of adding an herb to your lemon curd and/or ice cream is odd, just trust me on this. There are so many citrus/herb combos in dessert making, especially in curds. It just adds a subtle hint of flavor and what my dad and I would call a certain je ne sais quoi (while giggling and using our best French accents, of course.)
Turning this Lemon Curd Ice Cream into Sandwiches
So, just to gild the lily a bit, I turned this homemade lemon curd ice cream into ice cream sandwiches. Soft, puffy, chewy ginger cookies – not molasses spiced, just ground ginger and finely chopped crystallized ginger – with this tart, creamy ice cream in the middle. The ginger and lemon are so complimentary and just work so beautifully together to brighten their individual flavors. When combined, the lemon is somehow more tart and the ginger more spicy. True kitchen magic.
Find the Ginger Cookie Recipe in The Cookie Book
The cookie recipe I used is from my buddy Rebecca’s cookbook, The Cookie Book, and she is the fabulous writer, blogger, and photographer behind DisplacedHousewife.com, an award winning blog that you MUST follow, right after you go buy that cookie book. Her recipe for Mandarin Orange Cream Sammies can be found on page 152. I swapped out the flavors in her recipe for ginger, but otherwise kept it exactly the same. Her recipes are tried and true and just brilliant. She is a true cookie master! (This is not an ad, or a sponsored post. Just a friend and fan who LOVES Rebecca’s book and blog.)
Finally, as with all recipes, I urge you to read the recipe all the way through before you begin. Make sure you have all the ingredients, tools, and materials, and enough time! This has a few steps, but none is difficult.
Happy churning! I hope you love this homemade lemon curd ice cream as much as we do!
xo – Anita
For the full recipe, go to: https://wildthistlekitchen.com/lemon-curd-ice-cream/
