Calling all lemon lovers! Lemon curd ice cream, with rich, smooth, no-churn vanilla ice cream, and ribbons of sunshiny lemon curd, is a creamy dreamy treat!
Have insulated ice cream container(s) with lid(s) ready or, line a standard loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside.
Stir the condensed milk, vodka (if using), vanilla, and salt together in a small-medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
Add the whipping cream to a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Using a hand or stand mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream to medium-stiff peaks, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Scrape the condensed milk mixture into the bowl of whipped cream. Using the mixer, continue to whip everything together until the ice cream base is light and fluffy, and the condensed milk is well combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if you need.
Dollop ⅓ of the ice cream base into the bottom of the prepared ice cream tub(s). Spread the top of the cream evenly inside the tub then dollop it with ⅓ of the lemon curd on top. Use a butter knife to swirl the curd gently through the top of the cream. Repeat twice more with the remaining ice cream base and lemon curd to make a total of three layers of cream and swirled lemon curd.
Place the lid on the ice cream container(s) and freeze for 6 to 8 hours before scooping and serving.
Notes
For insulated ice cream containers, I use the Tovolo Glide-A-Scoop 1.5 Quart from Amazon. I also have the Tovolo Tight-Fitting Stack Friendly Sweet Treat Ice Cream Tub. This recipe makes about 2 quarts of ice cream so I have to use both of my tubs for storage. If you have enough freezer space, you could get a SUMO Jumbo Homemade Ice Cream Container to keep all of the ice cream in one container.I used to store my homemade ice cream in a standard metal loaf tin covered in plastic wrap. I find the metal makes the ice cream too hard and you have to let it thaw for at least 15 minutes before scooping. The insulated tubs I mentioned above are a game changer!Vodka is added to the ice cream base to help prevent it from freezing rock solid, however, it is completely optional. Some people say no-churn ice cream can be scooped straight from the freezer, however, in my experience, if using:
No Vodka - Place your lemon curd ice cream in the fridge to thaw for 15 to 20 minutes before scooping.
1 Tablespoon Of Vodka - Thaw 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge before scooping.
2 Tablespoons Of Vodka - Thaw 5 to 10 minutes in the fridge before scooping.
You can omit the vodka completely, however, you may need to let your ice cream thaw in the fridge for a while before scooping.Any clean-tasting 40% alcohol spirit can be used in place of vodka, but vodka is the best for leaving no trace of taste.If your ice cream is too hard to scoop you can also lift it out of the tin whole and serve it cut into slices.If you don't want to make homemade microwave lemon curd you can use a jar of store-bought. That being said, I promise you, homemade lemon curd is SO EASY and SO GOOD.Don't substitute the heavy cream or condensed milk. It won't be the same at all.