Description
Creamy lemon ice cream with bits of graham cracker crust and toasty meringue throughout is sure to please all lemon and lemon pie lovers!
Ingredients
- FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
- 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 9 Whole Graham Crackers, If You’re Grinding Your Own)
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
- FOR THE SWISS MERINGUE:
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- FOR THE ICE CREAM:
- 1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 can (14 Oz. Size) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 6 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Freshly Grated Lemon Zest
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
Add graham cracker crumbs and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly to combine.
Turn on processor and slowly pour in melted butter (through special opening for pouring) and mix until thoroughly combined. You may have to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times to ensure the butter is mixed in properly.
Press mixture across the bottom of the pan (it doesn’t have to be perfectly even). Bake for 12 minutes, or until firm and a bit crisp (you want the crust to be a bit crispier than usual). Remove crust from oven and place the dish on a wire rack to cool.
While crust is cooling, make meringue.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, briefly whisk egg whites and sugar to combine. Place the bowl over a small pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not directly touch the water, and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160°F. or until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, about 3–5 minutes.
Transfer bowl back to mixer and whisk on high until stiff peaks form and mixture is thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Transfer meringue to a cookie sheet and spread into a rough circle that is about 9 to 10 inches round.
Using a kitchen torch, torch the top of the meringue to desired toastiness, making sure to avoid touching the pan with the flame as little as possible. (See note below.) Set aside.
Wash the bowl and whisk attachment.
For the ice cream:
Break crust into small chunks/crumbles and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk heavy whipping cream until it reaches stiff peaks.
In a large bowl using a rubber spatula, stir sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Carefully fold in whipped cream, lemon zest, and crust crumbles. Pour into a freezer safe container (I use a 9 x 4 ½ inch loaf pan).
Dollop meringue on top and swirl with a knife to incorporate. Cover tightly with foil and freeze 4–8 hours, or until firm.
Note: If you do not have a kitchen torch, you might could place the pan under the broiler briefly to brown. If you do this, please keep a very close eye on it—I wouldn’t leave it in longer than 30 seconds. You could also skip this step—it will be just as tasty, I assure you! It’s seriously not necessary.
