Mary Berry recipes work for me when I want to make desserts that don’t disappoint, and this Lemon Meringue Cream is definitely one of them. Taking less than 10 minutes to make, Mary described this recipe as “impressive” but “easy” to make and recommended serving with berries.
While this recipe doesn’t require an ice cream maker or any fancy equipment, I thought it could be improved with Ninja Cream.
By looking at social media, you can see how this device has changed the way people make ice cream. Instead of spinning for over twenty minutes, Creami delivers smooth results in three minutes.
After unpacking, I was impressed with how slim the device is. Even though it was very tall, it easily fit under my cabinet for storage. Ninja Cream comes with three pint-sized containers for mixing the ice cream with lids. They sit inside a larger container that you push into the machine with a smart twist lock function.
The preset programs are incredibly easy to navigate, as Ninja has taken the guesswork out of it by marking each button with the style of frozen dessert you want.
It has seven programs, including smoothie bowl, light ice cream, ice cream, gelato, sorbet, shake and mixes. It’s also a re-spin button if you haven’t achieved the desired creaminess on the first run.
Currently retailing at £149 from £199 on AO.com, it costs a bit more than other creamers but makes up for it with its features.
After a quick cleanup of the dishes, I was ready to begin the lemon meringue ice cream recipe.
Ingredients
300 ml of double cream
One lemon
One jar of lemon curd
50 g of meringue, cut into pieces
Two tablespoons chopped lemon balm (optional)
Three passion fruits, halved flesh and seeds scraped out
Method
I started by whipping the cream lightly – until the whisk left a mark – before adding the lemon zest and juice and half a jar of lemon curd. I then folded in the meringue, making sure to leave a handful behind.
Next, I spooned the mixture into one of the containers and put the lid on before leaving it in the freezer for 24 hours.
Unlike most ice cream makers, instead of stirring it while freezing, you have to freeze the mixture in a container for at least 24 hours before it sets.
This should be a quick way to get chunky ice cream, but instead it works wonders by breaking up the ice crystals enough to leave you with one of the creamiest homemade ice creams I’ve had.
For those making this ice cream by hand, simply add the mixture to a 450g tin lined with plastic wrap and freeze for six hours.
In the meantime, I got around to making a passion fruit sauce on top of the ice cream by mixing the other half of the lemon curd with the passion fruit pulp and seeds. I then left this in the fridge ready to make the ice cream.
After 24 hours, it was time to test the Ninja Cream. To do this, I place the container in the outer bowl before attaching it.
Then it was time to choose one of the seven preset functions. The device has three versions of ready-made ice cream – light ice cream, ice cream and gelato. Each setting is designed for slightly different mixes and different textures. For this recipe I chose plain ice cream.
After selecting the function, the machine makes a very loud noise that lasts for about a minute, but once it has done its job, the results will forgive you almost immediately.
After the first spin, the ice cream went from rock solid to a creamy treat. I then decided to use the Mix-In program after adding the rest of the crushed meringues.
I then spooned the cream into a bowl and topped it with the passion fruit sauce. I loved the formula and felt it put my store bought cream to shame. However, if the structure is not quite right, there is a chance for extra spin.
