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Tuesday 10 July 2012

Lemon Limoncello Cream Popsicles

I am such a smart one, aren't I? Edmonton is having a massive heat wave, with temperatures in the mid thirties all week, and I decide that one of the hottest days of the decades is the day I need to photograph my delicious, but incredibly fragile and melty, limoncello creamsicles. Oh, clever me!! Or, better still, what a idiot idea that turned out to be. I got about 2 photos before those creamsicles started turning into a puddle of cream (oh, the cream was pretty delicious) and it was a frantic chuck-them-in-the-freezer... omigosh what am I going to do... CAT! KID! stay away from those, those are alcoholic, they are, oh, misery, what am I to do??

All this drama... while the answer was blindingly obvious, of course. Eat the damn things and sod the pictures :) Oh, and when you're at it, drink all the limoncello as well, you'll need it!
 
Limoncello

That said, can you think of a more perfect way to beat the heat? Fresh, tangy citrus teamed up with a delicate liqueur, all in a delicious creamy popsicle?

Thought not.

The idea for these creamsicles came from David Lebovitz's book. I've been addicted to his lemon ice cream for years now, but I also wanted to change things up a bit, as some aspects of it weren't quite working for me. The ice cream kept turning slightly powdery (delicious, nonetheless) and obviously some ingredients just weren't the same here. So I worked and reworked it several times, before coming up with this version, which, to be honest, is pretty close to perfect. The alcohol keeps the creamsicles smooth and creamy, while dissolving the sugar and lemon juice prior to blending in the half and half got rid of the powderiness. And of course, you can always freeze this in an ice cream machine, like I did, and serve with a sprinkling of lemon zest and a splash of limoncello.

And how did I stop them melting enough to take some pictures? Well, I cut out some paper towels in the shape of these popsicles, and placed the creamsicles gently over top of them. Solved part of the melting problem, but these pics were still taken in under five minutes :) Sometimes, photography has to take a backseat to more practical considerations like, how do you keep these treats away from sneaky li'l hands? That, I haven't yet figured out!!

 Lemon Limoncello Cream Popsicles_DSC0093
 
Recipe:
(Printable Recipe)

½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ cup caster sugar (berry sugar) *increase to ¾ cup if you like your creamsicles sweeter
2 cups half and half (10% cream or 1 cup single cream + 1 cup whole milk)
Pinch of salt
1½ - 2 tablespoons limoncello

Method:

Place the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl, and whisk together until the sugar is reasonably well dissolved.

Whisk in the half and half and salt. Transfer to a blender and blend for 1 minute, until the mixture is lovely, thick and creamy.

Stir in the limoncello.

Pour immediately* into popsicle moulds and freeze overnight until set completely. Run water over popsicle moulds to release.

* If you leave the mixture in the fridge before pouring it into moulds, it could separate. Give it a good whisk to combine before pouring into moulds or freezing in an ice cream machine.


15 comments :

  1. Those look absolutely heavenly. Also love the look of your new place ... *sneakily opens cupboards and closets to have a look around* :-)

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    Replies
    1. LOL, snoop around all you want Cathy, mi casa etc. :)

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  2. Wow they look so amazing.very tempting.

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  3. These look very refreshing! Perfect!

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    1. They certainly were, thank you for your comment and welcome to my blog :)

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  4. Divine! Will have to try tomorrow! Calgary is having its own little heatwave andI just happen to have some Limoncello on hand. Thank you.

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    1. Thanks Jennifer, don't forget to let me know how you liked them. These really are the perfect refresher!

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  5. i must try this sometime.... looks real tempting...

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    1. Ruth, absolutely. Let me know how they go :)

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  6. Looks pretty tasty to me! Perfect for beating this heat!

    -Michelle @ gloriouseats.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Michelle. They were pretty tasty.

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  7. Ohhh they look amazing - and SOOOOOOO refreshing!!
    Mary x

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    1. They certainly were refreshing, Mary. And perfect for the mid-thirties heatwave we've been having!

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  8. Delicious. I'm out of limoncello but I've been told I should make my own and maybe I will. No rush, though, since this summer has been so bad that I'm not sure that I can remember what heat is.

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