Basil Ice Cream

BASIL ICE CREAM
Adapted by BumbleBeeBoogie

2 cups whole milk, divided
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup white granulated sugar, divided
7 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon mint liqueur (optional)
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

Heat 1 cup of the milk in a bowl in a microwave oven until bubbly. Stir in the basil leaves, and remove from heat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil and let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Process the basil-milk mixture in a blender until smooth. Pour the mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the solids. Set aside.

Cook the remaining 1 cup milk, the whipping cream and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is bubbly. Take care not to scorch the mixture. Remove the pan from the heat.

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until the yolks are thick and pale.

Gradually stir in about one-fourth of the hot milk mixture into the yolks; then add the remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.

Stir in the basil mixture and, if desired, the mint liqueur.

Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 minutes or until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon, taking care not to scorch the mixture.

Cover the mixture with the pan's lid, plastic wrap or foil and chill it for 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacture's directions. Or you can use the freezer container of a 1-gallon electric ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the freezer with additional ice and rock salt, and let it stand for 1 hour.

Serve the ice cream in frozen lemon shells, and garnish with chopped basil leaves, if desired.