Lemon Curd Custard Ice Cream

By Foodiewife

Making homemade ice cream is much easier than you might think. Making homemade egg custard ice cream is a whole new animal-- the ice cream is rich and creamy. Using my fool-proof homemade egg custard, I added one cup of homemade lemon curd (you can buy it in the store, but it's easier and cheaper to make yourself).

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch Salt
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup lemon curd

Preparation

Step 1

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 hot 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. Personally, this is easier for me.

Slowly pour some of the hot cream into the eggs, to temper it. Slowly add the rest of the hot cream, whisking constantly until smooth.

Return to the double boiler** and cook over medium-low until thick and bubbling around the edges.
**NOTE: I used direct heat, being very careful to stir constantly and to keep the temperature on medium-low. It took about 15 minutes for the custard to thicken, so be patient!

The custard will coat a wooden spoon. You can also coat a regular spoon, run your finger through it. 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.

HOMEMADE LEMON CURD (Optional):
In a 2 quart saucepan, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, eggs, and butter.
Cook over medium-low heat until thick enough to hold marks from whisk, and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.
Remove from heat.

The curd can be stored in the refrigerator, in a tight-fitting jar, for up to one week.
I recommend that you made the ice cream custard and the lemon curd the day before actually making the ice cream.

TO MAKE THE ICE CREAM:
Whisk one cup of cold lemon curd into the chilled egg custard.

Turn on the machine, and then add the cream mix into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Transfer to a shallow quart container, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze in the refrigerator's freezer for at least 3 hours until ready to serve.