I’m officially making this a thing.
I have an enormous soft spot for this gelato — right now it might be my favorite dessert, and maybe my favorite meal. I could honestly eat it five times a day and be perfectly content.
It’s hard to believe I went 32 years without this in my life.
Let’s talk about why I call this gelato. The higher proportion of milk to cream and a denser churning process are what make gelato different from ice cream, though I’ll admit my explanation isn’t scientific. What matters is the result: a creamier, silkier texture that wins over typical ice cream every time.
There’s another reason this needed to be gelato. One trip to the grocery store — hangry and a little reckless — turned into a full-blown ice cream tasting with my cousin Lacy. We ended up sampling several pints and comparing textures and flavors. We loved a lemon cookie ice cream we tried, but when we tasted it alongside a Talenti gelato we’d grabbed, we were struck by how much thicker and creamier the gelato felt. It was softer, richer, and the mouthfeel won us over even if the lemon cookie ice cream had a bolder lemon punch.
That comparison inspired me to make my own lemon cookie gelato.
I tracked down lemon sandwich cookies to echo the cookie pieces in the original ice cream we’d loved. The cookies aren’t mandatory, but they’re a delightful addition. I found a great lemon sandwich cookie at my grocery store — if you liked those lemon Girl Scout cookies, these hit the same note. (I also grabbed lemon Oreos and wasn’t a fan — tastes vary.)
I adapted a lemon gelato base and tweaked it to include crushed lemon sandwich cookies. The final result is, to me, even better than the original lemon cookie ice cream we tried: creamier, more controlled in lemon flavor, and supremely satisfying. You can fold in cookie chunks for texture or skip them for a smooth citrus gelato — both are excellent.
Full disclosure: I used to think lemon desserts felt “old-lady” to my younger self, but I’ve embraced that vibe. I’ll happily listen to classic crooners and plan my garden while enjoying a scoop of this gelato. Lemon desserts suit me — and this gelato proves it.
Lemon Cookies and Cream Gelato
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Ingredients
- 4 lemons
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup half and half
- 7 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract (oil or emulsion)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 lemon sandwich cookies, chopped and crushed
Instructions
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Peel the rind from one lemon with a vegetable peeler, then finely grate the zest from the remaining three lemons with a microplane.
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Combine the finely grated zest and the sugar in a food processor and blend until evenly mixed.
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Heat 1 cup of heavy cream, the half and half, and the thickly peeled rind in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it just begins to bubble at the edges—do not scald. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar until pale and smooth. Remove the cream from heat and slowly stream it into the egg mixture while whisking. Discard the thick rind, return the mixture to the saucepan, and cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the lemon and vanilla extracts.
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Transfer the custard to a bowl and let cool completely. Whisk in the remaining cup of heavy cream, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
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Churn the cold mixture according to your ice cream maker’s instructions (about 20 minutes with a KitchenAid attachment). Stir in the crushed cookies after churning, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 4 to 6 hours before serving.
Notes
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Yes, you should make this. You won’t regret it.