Limoncello Crema

Limoncello is a wonderful liquid contradiction after an Italian meal: Cold but heady, crisp but sweet. This recipe pushes limoncello into additional dimensions by pairing the tartness of lemon with the richness of milk.

2 cups vodka

zest of 6 lemons

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 cups milk or half and half

1. Peel the lemons and scrape the white pith from the peels so that only the zest remains.

2. Put the zest in a 1-quart canning jar and add the vodka. Screw on the lid and store in a dark place.

3. After two weeks, strain the beverage through cheesecloth to remove the zest.

4. Heat the milk and whisk in the sugar.

5. Refrigerate the milk and sugar mixture. When the milk solution is cold, add it to the limoncello. Leave the jar out for a couple of hours to make sure that the ingredients have mixed. Store in the freezer. Don't worry about how long this will keep; you will drink it long before it could go bad.

Note: Be careful not to get any lemon juice into the limoncello since it could cause the milk to curdle.

Serving Suggestion: Serve very cold in a small glass after an Italian dinner. A desert in itself.