Perfect Lemon Ice Cream

As a kid, our dad occasionally bought ice cream cones for us at “Eddie’s Little Store”, one of those original combination gas station convenience stores where the ice cream was “hand packed”. My very favorite was lemon, which they only had once a summer or so. This recipe lets me have lemon ice cream whenever. It’s delicious. I combined the idea of crushed lemon drops I saw somewhere with my favorite ice cream formula. This recipe doesn’t require any cooking before making ice cream; this is my husband’s preferred ratio of sugar to cream to half and half. Buy “pure” lemon extract for this for extra good flavor
We used to have a Cusinart ice cream maker and it worked well. We purchased the ice cream maker attachment for our Kitchenaid last year and it works just as well or better. I only have to store the container as the mixer is always out. Both require keeping the container in your freezer at the coldest setting at least 36-48 hours before making ice cream. I find a place for it in my freezer all summer, so it’s always ready. I also chill the ice cream mixture overnight, and then in the freezer until its a little icy around the edges. Don't get out the bowl until you are ready to use it.  If you have a regular ice cream maker, multiply the recipe to suit and make it according to the maker’s directions.  This is a "plan-ahead" dessert.

Lemon Drop Ice Cream
2 Cups Half and Half
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2/3 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract -- pure extract
3 Drops Yellow Food Coloring
1/4 Cup Lemon Drops -- crushed
Combine ingredients, chill 3 hours or overnight. Process 20 MINUTES in the ice cream maker on "STIR".  ONLY POUR THE MIXTURE INTO COLD CONTAINER AFTER IT IS ASSEMBLED AND RUNNING. Stir in the crushed lemon drops before packing into a quart freezer container.  This will only be soft-serve frozen at this point.  Freeze an additional 4-6 hours or overnight to ripen. Keeps up to a week well covered.
Cost Summer 2010: $ 2.25
Yield: "1 Quart"