Summer Garden Lemon Basil Parfait with Island Berries

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1/2 ounce fresh basil
2 cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
Lemon zest from 2 lemons
Vanilla ice cream, softened
2-4 cups of mixed berries for garnish

In a small saucepan, combine 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, water and sugar. Bring to a boil until the syrup reads 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. In a mixer, whip the egg yolks until thick and foamy. With the mixer still on, slowly add the lemon simple syrup down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing until the bowl is cool - this will take about 8-10 minutes. The batter will get pale and very thick.

In a food processor, combine the basil, the 1/4 cup of lemon juice and a few drops of water. Purée until smooth. I find it's easier to add in a spoonful of the whipped cream to get the puree nice and fine.

Fold the basil purée, the whipped cream and the lemon zest into the egg-syrup batter. Refrigerate.

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and make sure there are no air pockets. With a spatula, spread the softened ice cream on the bottom of the pan. I wrapped a smaller loaf pan with plastic wrapped and pressed down on the ice cream to flatten it out. Place in the freezer to harden, about 1 hour. Once the vanilla ice cream has hardened, fill the mold with the lemon basil mixture. Cover the top with plastic, smoothing out any air bubbles, and place back in the freezer to harden overnight.

To serve, turn the loaf pan upside down and remove the plastic. Slice and serve with lots of fresh berries.

Wrap any leftovers in the plastic wrap and keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks