Cheesecake Ice Cream

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUA R T

Just like any great cheesecake, this ice cream is better the next day. From THE ULTIMATE ICE CREAM BOOK.

1 cup sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon or orange zest
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 graham crackers, crumbled

Beat the sugar and the cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Set aside.

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Slowly beat the hot milk into the cheese mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the egg will scramble. Remove from the heat and pour the hot cheese custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in the lemon zest and cream. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding the crumbled graham crackers to the machine when the ice cream is semifrozen. Allow the machine to mix in the crackers. When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

Variations:

CHERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM Gently swirl 3/4 cup canned cherry pie filling into the finished ice cream. Be careful not to overswirl or the cherries will "melt" into the ice cream. Streaks of cherry "sauce" should be visible. Serve immediately or freeze until firm.

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM Omit the lemon zest. Substitute pep-
permint extract for the vanilla extract. Add 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips to the machine when the ice cream is semifrozen. Allow the machine to mix in the chips. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

OREO CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM Omit the lemon zest. Substitute crumbled Oreos for the graham crackers. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM Omit the lemon zest. Add 1/2 cup melted white chocolate to the custard along with the vanilla, Proceed with the recipe as directed.