Frosted Lemonade

Before you start

Frosted lemonade sits between a milkshake and a slush: lemonade blended with vanilla ice cream until it is thick, pale and creamy, with enough acid to taste refreshing rather than heavy. It needs only two ingredients, so the proportions do all the work.

Use roughly equal volumes of lemonade and firmly packed ice cream for a drink that pours slowly but still goes up a straw. A lemonade on the tart, concentrated side matters, because ice cream adds a lot of sweetness and fat that would otherwise mute the lemon. Blend briefly and serve at once. Acid and dairy can turn grainy if they sit, and the texture loosens fast as the ice cream melts.

Ingredients

• 300 ml (1¼ cups) cold lemonade — homemade or good store-bought, on the tart side
• 300 g (about 2 cups, 4 scoops) vanilla ice cream — softened for 5 minutes
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice — optional, to sharpen
• To garnish lemon wheels or a little lemon zest

Method

1. Chill two tall glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes. Let the ice cream sit on the counter for about 5 minutes so it scoops easily.
2. Pour the cold lemonade into the blender first so the blades catch, then add the ice cream and the extra lemon juice if using.
3. Blend on low for 10 seconds, then on high for 10 to 15 seconds, just until smooth with no streaks. Stop as soon as it looks even; long blending warms and thins it.
4. Check the texture. If it is too thick to pour, add 30 ml more lemonade; if it is runny, add another scoop and pulse.
5. Pour into the chilled glasses, garnish with lemon and serve right away with wide straws.

Tips for success

• A dense, premium vanilla ice cream gives the creamiest texture. Airy, low-fat ice cream makes a thinner, icier drink.
• Taste the lemonade first. If it is mild, add the extra lemon juice so the finished drink does not taste like a vanilla shake.
• Keep everything cold. Warm lemonade melts the ice cream before it blends.

Substitutions

Vanilla ice cream

Vanilla frozen yogurt makes a tangier, lighter drink. Dairy-free coconut or oat ice cream works; coconut adds a tropical note.

Lemonade

Pink lemonade or strawberry lemonade gives a pastel color and fruit flavor with the same method.

Ice cream entirely

Blend lemonade with frozen lemonade ice cubes and a splash of cream for a lighter frozen drink. It will be icier, not creamy.

Variations

Blueberry frosted lemonade

Blend in 60 g frozen blueberries with the ice cream for a lavender-colored, fruitier drink.

Frosted limeade

Use limeade instead of lemonade for a sharper, greener flavor.

Troubleshooting

Grainy or curdled texture

Very acidic lemonade or long standing can do this. Blend briefly and serve immediately; using full-fat ice cream helps.

Too thin

The ice cream was too soft or the blender ran too long. Add a scoop of firm ice cream and pulse twice.

Tastes only of vanilla

Add lemon juice a tablespoon at a time and a little grated zest.

Storage

Serve immediately; it melts and separates within minutes and does not refreeze well. Do not leave the drink at room temperature for more than 2 hours.