Categories: Dessert, Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon zest or 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 graham crackers, crumbled
Directions
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In a bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth and creamy; beat in the egg and vanilla; set aside.
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Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan; slowly beat the hot milk into the cheese mixture.
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Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
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Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly (don’t let the mixture boil or the egg will scramble).
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Remove pan from heat and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large clean bowl.
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Let the custard cool slightly, then stir in the lemon zest and cream.
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Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.
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Stir the chilled custard; freeze in 1 or 2 batches in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions, adding the crumbled graham crackers to the machine when the ice cream is semifrozen; allow the machine to mix in the crackers.
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When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat.
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For firmer ice cream, transfer mixture to a freezer-safe container and freeze several hours.
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*White Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream: omit the lemon zest; add ½ cup melted white chocolate to the custard along with the vanilla; proceed as directed.
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*Oreo Cheesecake Ice Cream: omit the lemon zest; substitute crumbled oreos for the graham crackers; proceed as directed.