Sluttishly Sweet: Lemon Ice

Is there anything nicer than a lemony dessert at the end of a meal? As much as my eye is drawn to ice-cream sundaes and fudge brownies, I know I'll regret anything that doesn't have that sharp lemon lightness. After a heavy meal, it comes as a beautiful burst of freshness, and is incredibly refreshing in summer.

Lemon ice is a Spanish dish and is a cross between ice-cream and sorbet. It doesn't have double cream but it does use milk and eggs. No need for an ice-cream maker though - just a freezable container and a whisk.

Lemon ice

You will need:

• 1 egg, separated
• 150g sugar
• 225ml milk
• 2 lemons, zest and juice

Make it!

• Separate the egg, putting the yolk in one bowl and the white in another. Whisk the yolk with the milk, then whisk in the sugar and lemon zest and juice.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff (warning: this will take a lot of arm work. Use a food processor or electric whisk if you have one).
• Gently fold the egg whites into the lemony mixture. Taste it to see if it needs more lemon or sugar. Pour into a shallow dish and freeze.
• After two hours, remove and whisk again. This stops ice crystals from forming.
• Refreeze until you want to eat it.

Enjoy a bowlful on its own or with a handful of raspberries. I've taken to spooning it into my mouth before dinner, pitifully claiming it's a palate cleanser, ok? It'll keep for about a week - don't hang on to it for too long because of the raw egg.