Key Lime Ice Cream

2 large eggs

1 ¼ cups white sugar

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 ¼ cups half-and-half cream

¾ cup lime juice

Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lime juice, and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium heat until well-blended. Continuously stir the egg mixture with a wooden spoon until thickened, 7 to 8 minutes. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in the half and half until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve set over a clean bowl. Cover and chill the mixture in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, until cool, about 1 hour.

Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer s directions until it reaches soft-serve consistency. Transfer ice cream to a one- or two-quart lidded plastic container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.