Spoonable Lemonade

This refreshing lemon ice makes a wonderful end to dinner. Or, to impress, serve it as a palate-freshener between courses; in that case, reduce the amount of sugar slightly for a tangier flavor.

It’s flavored with limoncello, an Italian liqueur. Look for it at specialty liquor stores and gourmet grocery stores.

An ice cream maker produces the best ice with a nice light texture, but don’t despair if you don’t have one. You can freeze the ice in your freezer, though it takes a bit longer.

Glass and liner from Pier 1 Imports.

Limoncello Ice

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 5 minutes plus 1 1/2 hours chilling

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups water

1/2 cup limoncello

1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer just until the sugar dissolves and turns clear, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Stir in the limoncello and lemon juice. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until cold, 1 hour, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you’re not using a machine, pour the chilled mixture into a 9-inch square metal baking pan and freeze. After half an hour, remove the pan from the freezer. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the pan with a metal spatula. Chop the frozen lumps into liquid, then return the pan to the freezer. Repeat the process every half hour until the ice becomes slushy. This should take about 11/2 hours.

Spoon the ice into glasses and serve. To serve the ice later, spoon it into a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and return it to the freezer.

6 servings. Each serving: 137 calories; 1 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.04 gram fiber.