Limoncello Icecream Wedges - Beautiful Summer Dessert

Limoncello Gelato

Doesn't it drive you just crazy when you try to prepare a recipe for the first time and halfway through realize that you are a victim of sloppy editing? There is either an ingredient missing, they got the timing wrong or, worst of all - as in this case - something is labelled "Really, really easy - just put it in the freezer and forget about it" and, it turns out is it SO NOT.

This Limoncello Icecream is a recipe from the British Cooking magazine "Olive", ripped out from their "Eat in - Show off" section. Not only do I love Limoncello, but who doesn't love a recipe that claims to be easy and has show off appeal?

Well, it starts easy enough:

Take 3 really ripe, organic lemons. Finely grate their skin off, then juice them. Mix zest and juice with 170 g of icing (confectioner's) sugar and let infuse for about 30 minutes. I added the zest and juice of one lime to make it more interesting and reduced the original amount of sugar (190g) to 170 g.

Hopefully you always store your Limoncello in the freezer, because you  then need to whip 450 ml of double cream with 3 tbsp of ice cold Limoncello into a soft chantilly (whipped cream). Stir in the lemon juice and sugar mixture, pour into a tub and freeze. So easy, so good.

But then, the next day or so, you need another 3 big fat and juicy lemons (no mention of those in the recipe). Cut them in halves lengthwise, get rid of their flesh (I found this works best with a metal ice cream scoop), let the frozen ice cream thaw just a bit and fill the lemon halves tightly with ice cream. Wrap individually in cling film (plastic wrap) and refreeze.

Just before serving then comes the real hard part: Where the Olive recipe breezily suggests: "Cut in half again lengthways on serving" there you stand in the kitchen, sweating and swearing under your breath and trying to saw the bloody icecold, slippery halves into halves. Trust me, the only thing that works is a sturdy serrated bread knife that you dip in real hot water every five seconds.

Truth is: It looks great and tastes even better, but easy? Easy it ain't!