Lemon Curd Ripple Ice Cream

For the lemon curd:
In a heat proof bowl (or the top of a double boiler), beat yolks for 1 minute. Add syrup or sugar and beat for another minute. Add lemon juice and zest and mix well.

Place over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t actually touching the water). Cook, stirring nearly constantly, until it thickens, about 10–20 minutes.

Stir in butter 1 piece at a time, waiting until each piece melts before adding another one. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a storage jar.

Cool until just warm. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

For the ice cream base:
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer until cream is thickened but not quite enough for dolloping. You want it to be a little liquid and not able to hold peaks. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the milk and mix until well combined.

Churn according to your ice cream maker instructions.

Once it’s done churning, scoop ice cream into a freezer-safe storage container. Dollop half of the lemon curd over the top and fold into the ice cream with a spatula. Dollop the remaining lemon curd over the top and fold in.

Freeze for several hours, or until firm (depending on how cold your freezer is, this could take as little as an hour, or up to 4 hours).

For a no-churn version, mix ice cream base and pour it into a freezer-safe container. Freeze until firm but still able to be stirred, about 3 hours.

Fold in the lemon curd as described above. Freeze until completely firm, several more hours.

Recipe inspired by Donna Hay. Lemon curd recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma.