Recipe: South Philly Lemon Ice (using agave nectar)

SOUTH PHILLY LEMON ICE



"On the summer days when my mom was working, my older brother, Steven, would take me to Max Meyers playground (my childhood favorite) in Philly. The problem was, though, that he being a teenage boy and I, well, just a little girl, he definitely wasn't interested in hanging out with me. So Steven would buy me a lemon water ice, along with a soft mustard-topped pretzel, and then take off with his friends for hours.

Yum. I remember the tartness of the lemon ice and squeezing my cheeks and lips together before I swallowed. Oh, and those little pieces of lemon rind! I don't remember being scared of being alone, but I will never forget that flavor It ended up that being left alone was a delicious thing."

2 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind

Combine two cups of water with the sugar, agave and salt. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until just boiling and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and zest.

Chill the mixture in the fridge, or for faster chilling, set the bowl over a larger one filled with ice and a little water. Either way, stir frequently. The chilled mixture can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days before churning.

To churn, pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Serve immediately, or for a firmer ice, scrape into a chilled bowl, cover, and freeze until firm, or for up to 3 days.

Makes about 1 quart
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Baking Out Loud by Hedy Goldsmith