How Nigella Lawson Makes Homemade Margarita Ice Cream With Just A Few Easy Add-Ins

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Renowned British chef Nigella Lawson is known for her straightforward, approachable way of preparing an extensive range of delicious meals, snacks, and treats both on and off screen. That being said, among her most popular recipes are distinct dishes that infuse the taste of select spirits. Beyond Lawson's signature recipes including penne alla vodka and chocolate Guinness cake, the master chef also knows how to make a simple yet delicious margarita-flavored ice cream.

Especially if you like margaritas for dessert, there's more than one way to turn these tangy drinks into decadent treats. Lucky for you, Lawson's sweet and creamy margarita ice cream recipe, featured in her cookbook "Nigella Express," requires only a few key ingredients. As a matter of fact, all you need to make this unique dessert is lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur, powdered sugar, and heavy cream. More than anything else, this recipe proves you don't need an ice cream machine to make a delicious frozen treat.

Fortunately, Lawson's margarita ice cream is a no-churn recipe, which makes preparing a batch extra simple. Essentially, you whip the heavy cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Then, you carefully incorporate the freshly whipped cream into the rest of the ingredients, which you pre-mix in advance. Once your prepared container of margarita ice cream has had a full night setting in your freezer, you're ready to enjoy a bowl. Thanks to using only a little bit of tequila, this ice cream proves to be perfectly scoopable straight from the freezer; too much and the alcohol could throw the dessert's optimal freezing temperature off.

As long as you store your version of Nigella Lawson's ice cream in a freezer-safe, airtight container, you can enjoy a serving (or two) whenever the mood strikes. The suggested ratio of one part tequila and liqueur to a little over eight parts cream and lime juice proves to be the perfect amount, resulting in a soft, easy-to-spoon dessert that doesn't completely harden in your freezer or worse, form pesky ice crystals.

Fortunately, since preparing this no-fuss dessert takes very little time, doesn't leave your kitchen in shambles, and is easy to scoop, you have more energy to serve this decadent treat in a few extra special ways. Instead of adding scoops of margarita ice cream to standard bowls, serve your ice cream in special containers like Youeon's Glass Ice Cream Bowls from Amazon. Not only do these bowls have a footed base; they also have a wider rim which is perfect for adding lime juice and a dusting of salt or sugar. Serving vessels aside, you can also spruce up this recipe with toppings like fresh lime zest, mint leaves, or a homemade crumble topping made of butter, flour, and sugar.

Toppings aside, keep in mind, there's more to know when it comes to adding tequila to homemade ice cream. Once you feel comfortable making Lawson's margarita ice cream, feel free to upgrade this recipe by incorporating more flavors. For example, the addition of fresh fruit or cocoa powder can easily complement the flavors of tequila and lime.