Whip It

I adore lemon - I was never into it until I went to Italy and had fresh, amazing, huge lemons. Now, it's one of my favorite smells and flavors. So when I came across a recipe from Claire Robinson, a newcomer to The Food Network, I was delighted to see she had a wonderfully refreshing recipe for the perfect lemon ending.

CLAIRE ROBINSON'S FROZEN LEMON WHIPS

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 lemons, zested, plus thin slices for serving
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions

Line a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin with paper muffin liners.

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until well combined, then add the lemon juice and zest. Pour into a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to the consistency of gravy, 8 to 10 minutes, (it should cling to the spoon when you stop stirring). Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve placed over a glass bowl. Stir the mixture occasionally to help release some of the heat. Once cooled to room temperature, put plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until firm.

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Whisk the chilled lemon curd to loosen it and fold half the cream into it to lighten. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until just blended. Divide the lemon whip between the muffin cups, smoothing the tops. Put the pan on a sheet tray, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.

To serve, remove muffin tray from freezer and let stand 10 minutes. Serve immediately by placing thin lemon slices on a plate and inverting the lemon whip directly on top of the lemon slices (this prevents sliding on the plate). Drizzle berry sauce over the top and around the frozen lemon whip. Garnish with a few fresh blueberries and enjoy your refreshing cold treat!!!

You can check out this and other recipes from Claire on www.foodnetwork.com.