Meyer Lemon Frozen Cream with Blackberry Sauce

This year, I’ve got over a dozen Meyer lemons in my yard (ain’t life grand?), as opposed to the two I got last year. I wasn’t sure what to do with them, because as I was watching them grow last fall, I realized that I didn’t really have any new recipes to try. But I needn’t have worried, because invariably as January rolls around, Meyer lemon recipes pop up all over the place (see here or here for inspiration). They’re not all ready at the same time, though; I started by bringing in 3 for this recipe, and I’ll pick the rest as they ripen.

This isn’t really ice cream. You don’t even need an ice cream maker. The original recipe, from Bon Appétit, calls for cream that is whipped and folded into lemon custard before being frozen, so it’s a bit lighter than regular ice cream. However, I don’t have any lactose-free cream in the States yet, so I ended up using Kineret instead. Since that is already sweetened, I halved the amount of sugar, which is reflected below. I’ve also reordered the ingredients to make the recipe easier to follow. You could also make this with regular lemons, in which case you should add a bit more sugar. I really loved the result as it was, though, and I can’t begin to describe the satisfaction of going out to the backyard to pick lemons and using them for our dessert! While the blackberry sauce is optional, I find that it complements Meyer lemons perfectly, so I do recommend it.

¼ cup sugar (or ½ cup if using lactose-free cream)
about 3 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced (for 5 Tbsp. + 1 ½ tsp. juice, divided, and 1 ¾ tsp. zest, divided)
3 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 cup Kineret, thawed to fridge temperature (or 1 cup lactose-free cream if you have it)
1 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
2 Tbsp. sugar

Whisk ¼ cup sugar, 5 Tbsp. of the lemon juice, egg yolks and corn syrup in a small metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of boiling water; whisk until mixture is thick and fluffy and thermometer inserted into mixture registers 180°F, about 3 minutes (or use pasteurized eggs and dispense with the thermometer). Place bowl with yolk mixture over larger bowl filled with ice and water until mixture is cool, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat Kineret and 1 ½ tsp. lemon zest in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold cooled yolk mixture into cream in 3 additions. Cover and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Mix berries and any accumulated juices, remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 ½ tsp. lemon juice, and ¼ tsp. lemon zest in small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Coarsely mash half of berries in bowl to thicken juices. Scoop lemon cream into small bowls. Top each with 1 rounded tablespoon berry sauce and serve.