No-churn honey, lemon, thyme & ricotta ice cream

11 June 2024
|In Recipes, Recipe of the month
|By Lucy Cufflin

Photography by Jamie Orlando Smith

When it comes to frozen desserts, cheese ice cream might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the velvety smooth texture and delicious flavours of this frozen delight.

Served inside real Sicilian lemons perched on a bed of ice, each one is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. With its vibrant colour and summery aesthetic, this dessert is one of my favourites.

SERVES 6

  • 3 Sicilian lemons
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour
  • 250ml/9oz whole milk
  • 180ml/6fl oz double cream
  • 4–6 thyme sprigs
  • 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out (reserve the pod)
  • 4 tablespoons runny honey
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 340g/11 ¾ oz ricotta
  • 3 tablespoons full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon flaked sea (kosher) salt
  • mint leaves, to decorate

1 Halve the lemons lengthways and carefully scoop out the flesh, keeping the lemon shells intact. Transfer the flesh and juice to a bowl, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and set aside in the fridge.

2 In a small bowl, whisk the cornflour with about 3 tablespoons of the milk to make a smooth slurry.

3 In a small saucepan, bring the remaining milk and the cream to the boil over a medium heat. As soon as it starts to boil, remove from the heat and add the thyme and vanilla pod and seeds. Cover the pan with a lid and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

4 Strain the milk mixture into a bowl to remove the thyme and vanilla pod. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place over a medium-high heat.

5 Give the cornflour slurry one last whisk, then little by little, whisk it into the milk and cream, bringing the mixture back to the boil. Keep cooking, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 1 minute).

6 Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the honey and the sugar into the thickened cream mixture, mixing until they dissolve. Remove from the heat.

7 Pour the mixture into a food processor or blender and add the ricotta, cream cheese and salt. Blitz until completely smooth, then pour into a shallow container and leave to cool. Once cold, put the lid on the container and transfer it to the freezer. Freeze for 1 hour, then remove the lid and stir the mixture (it should be part-frozen) vigorously with a fork to break up any ice crystals. Replace the lid and return to the freezer. Repeat the process, stirring every 30 minutes for 2–3 hours, until the ice cream is smooth, creamy, and firm but scoopable. (You can also churn the ice cream in an ice-cream machine and transfer it to the freezer until ready to serve.)

8 To serve, fill each shell with scoops of ricotta ice cream, then drizzle over some of the reserved lemon juice. You can return the filled lemon shells to the freezer, until you’re ready to serve them – just give them 10 minutes at room temperature to soften a little.

No Churn ricotta ice cream is from Morgan McGlynn’s – The Complete Cheese Pairing Book

Ricotta