If I had to capture my entire childhood in one food, this would probably be it. My summers were spent enjoying this lovely treat in cute little Spanish cafes with my grandfather or at the beach with my mother. When we'd leave Spain and I realized I couldn't eat it again for another year (America, why have you not discovered this treasure and made it available in my local grocery store??) I was pretty much devastated until the wonderful moment I discovered a recipe to make it myself! Leche merengada is a delicious Spanish dessert which can be enjoyed as a slushy drink or (my personal favorite) as ICE CREAM! That's right! And it's pretty easy to make (if you have an awesome ice cream maker) AND takes up a lot of milk (this is a good thing for me; what am I supposed to do with a gallon a week??). I've made this countless times and I don't think it's possible to get tired of it. Plus it won second place (out of 30 or so) in a ward dessert contest, so it's tried and true by more than myself. :) Anyway, sorry for the excessive use of parentheses and my ramblings. Here we go! The original recipe is found
here.
Leche Merengada Ice Cream
- 4 cups whole raw milk (I use 2% because that's what I have on hand and it works just fine)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole lemon peel
- 1 stick whole cinnamon
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- Ground cinnamon for garnish
Combine milk, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepot. Simmer milk until sugar dissolves; remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes or so, then strain. Refrigerate milk in a covered container for a few hours or until it's cold. If you're in a hurry, just pop it into the freezer to speed up the process. :)
When milk is ready, whisk egg whites and salt until foamy, then add 1/2 cup sugar in a stream; continue whisking until meringue forms a stiff peak. Fold meringue gently into milk. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and enjoy!
