This is all Kavey’s fault. No, really, it is. If she hadn’t run her Bloggers Scream for Ice-cream then this would never have come to my attention. I always read, because I like ice cream on occasion, but it has to be creamy, and definitely with NO ICE CRYSTALS. I don’t own an ice cream machine, and previous attempts have been less than stellar.

I’m a gelato girl, to be honest. My first memories of an ice-cream that truly made me go WOW was a rum and raisin filled cone in Italy. I’m not sure what town we were in at the time, possibly Salerno, but OH MY GOD that was an ice cream to stay in the memory. Believe me, the exoticness of a rum and raisin ice cream out of what looked like a Mr Whippy machine is not to be underestimated. Then we visited a factory with some friends of my parents, and they gave me a small tub of coffee ice cream. Bang. Sold. Creamy, smooth ice cream was the only way I wanted it, so when I saw the amazing concoctions using condensed milk and double cream on Kavey’s blog then I knew I had to try it.

One drawback stood in my way. The use of cream. My husband is allergic to cream and milk so I dithered as to whether this would actually be possible, but when I finally had the time to have a day of doing nothing at home, I decided to give it a go.

I decided to use Greek yoghurt in place of the cream. Not only because of my husband’s allergy, but also because in quite a few reviews I had read on condensed milks creams, there was reference to a slightly greasy mouth feel, and I figured that yoghurt would make it a lighter dessert.

I took a rekkie at what we had in the fridge, faffed a bit about what flavour to make and then went with the Use Up That Stuff In the Jar flavour.

1 500g carton Tim’s Dairy Greek Yoghurt

1 397g can Carnation condensed milk

4 heaped tablespoons lemon curd*

1 tsp vanilla paste

1 tsp Sicilian lemon extract

Whisk the yoghurt to get some air into it, then whisk in everything except the lemon curd.

Pour into a plastic container (I used an empty ice cream tub) and then dollop in the lemon curd, and pull it through the mixture with a knife.

Go OOH at the pretty pattern, and then pop it in the freezer so you don’t just eat it all with a spoon.

6 hours later, take it out of the freezer, test it, and marvel at just how soft and creamy it is.

My next experiment is going to be a coffee ice cream, in honour of Kavey, because I know how she loves her coffee with condensed milk. I just have to get some more yoghurt…I can see this fast becoming an addiction.

I also really, really want to make this. Lots. Dead Elvis? Bring it on baby.

Also that gives me an excuse to link to this song. You’ll thank me. Really. In the end.

*The lemon curd was home made, concocted from Persian lemons that my Mum had sent me from her tree in Cyprus. They are thinner skinned than normal lemons, with many seeds and a floral, delicate taste. They are also known as Meyer lemons in the US.