Recipe of the Day: Margarita Ice Cream

My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither,
but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate.
~ Thornton Wilder

Happy August, dear Reader! One of the things I love most about hosting tea in the summer is the option to set aside traditional fare in favor of more laid-back, relaxed options. I might swap out hot tea for an iced black tea with a selection of delectable homemade syrups. Or I could fore go tea sandwiches and instead serve decadent, single-serve salads piled high with fresh ingredients like sliced mozzarella, tomatoes off the vine, basil from my own herb pot and a drizzle of olive oil--dishes that feel effortless and back-to-the-land breezy but still thoroughly satisfy a summer appetite.

If it's too hot to bake in the oven, I might opt to serve a light & cool sorbet for dessert, or this incredibly delicious and flavorful gem: Margarita Ice Cream. I first tasted this recipe at a friend's home and fell immediately in infatuation. The intensity of the lime margarita flavor is amazing and this recipe is non-alcoholic so everyone can partake and enjoy. I liked it so much, it inspired me to go out and buy my first ice cream maker: a 4-Quart Rival Frozen Delights. Since then, summer has been all cool scoops of creamy margarita bliss!

Margarita Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 5-6 limes
• 2 cups heavy cream (for a less buttery consistency on the tongue, replace 1/2-1 cup of cream with whole milk)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbl frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/4 tsp fine salt

Instructions:

• Zest 2 of the limes and set zest aside.

• Halve and juice all of the limes.

• Measure out a 1/2 cup of the juice. Set aside any additional juice for serving.

• Add lime juice to a mixing bowl.
• Whisk in zest. Reserve a small amount for serving, if desired.
• Whisk sugar into lime juice.
• Whisk in remaining ingredients.
• Following your ice cream maker's instructions, churn the ice cream mixture until thick.

• Pack ice cream into a plastic container (or follow your machine's instructions), cover with plastic wrap and freeze firm one or more hours (Realistically: 12 hours or overnight for my machine).
• Serve in chilled bowls or margarita glasses.
• Sprinkle with additional lime zest, if desired.
• To spiff up the presentation, dip margarita glass rims in the leftover lime juice, then in sugar before serving.
• Recipe serves 4.
  (To fill the Rival 4 Qt Frozen Delights Ice Cream Maker, triple the batch.)

Truly a labor of love, this creamy deliciousness is worth the effort and will make the perfect final touch at any modern girl's summer tea party. Enjoy!

“Not having ice cream,” she proclaimed, “is the culmination of all disasters!” ― Brandon Sanderson

Ice Cream Quotes courtesy of goodreads.com.