1 1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 lemon, zest only
2 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
1/4 cup lemon verbena leaves*
1/4 cup lemon balm leaves*
1 tbsp lemon balm leaves, chopped
Directions
* leaves are measured by "hardpacking:" press down in the measuring
cup with your fingers
In a heavy 2-quart saucepan or double boiler over medium-low heat,
stir and heat the cream, milk, and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
Do not boil.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks lightly. While whisking, pour 1
cup of the hot cream mixture into the bowl, then pour the egg mixture
back into the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir
constantly with a wooden spoon (don't let the mixture boil; it could
curdle) for about 8 minutes, or until it begins to thicken and coats
the spoon. To test for doneness, dip a metal spoon into the mixture
and run your finger across the back. The custard is done when your
finger leaves a clear, clean trail. A candy thermometer should read
175-180 degrees F.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Stir in the
lemon peel, lemon juice, and hard-packed lemon herbs into the hot
ice-cream base. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1
hour (the longer it is refrigerated, the stronger the flavor will be).
Strain the mixture and add the chopped lemon balm leaves for color.
Pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
Source: "The Herb Companion" August/September 1996
Servings: 1 batch
Lemon Herbal Ice Cream Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Dessert; Fruit; Ice Cream; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
We are able to follow the history of `recipes` far back into the far past, certainly as far as the early Egyptians, and possibly even further. Having said that, sadly, these early recipes were just primitive pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for food preparation.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe in existence, according to food historians are some tablets in the Sumerian language describing the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel `wonderful`. Later on, in The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled a few scripts detailing recipes prepared by wealthy roman citizens. In his scrolls, he tells us how the roman meals were split into hors d`oeuvres, entrees and dessert, a style of dining still practiced today. Aspicius also recounts how the Roman cooks were skilled in the use of a good variety of aromatic flavours, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks like thyme, rue and asafoetida. Later on, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought us a variety of foods and spices from the Middle-East, including basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new foods and spices caused an outbreak in recipe manuscripts, many of which are now in academic collections. Over the succeeding few centuries, the rich and powerful families of Wesstern Europe competed to lay on the most extravagent meals, and as a result the best cooks and their collection of recipes increased in prestige. Notwithstanding that, it wasn`t until the 1800s that haute cuisine and recipe collections rose to prominence. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted much of their lives to collecting, trying out, and publishing recipes to help cooks of their time. When we get to the 20th century, cookery books were highly popular as a result of increased literacy, more leisure time and a general increase in wealth. |
We hope you enjoy this Lemon Herbal Ice Cream recipe.
