Frothy, Creamy ~Whole Lemon~ Lemonade {gf}

Have you ever asked yourself why we only use the juice of a lemon when we make lemonade?

You’ve heard of root-to-stalk cooking, essentially using all the parts of a plant, like using carrot tops in pesto instead of throwing those away. So why aren’t we using the whole lemon? The nutritional benefits of lemon peel are crazy good.

Lemon peel contains limonene, a powerful compound that stimulates liver enzymes involved in detoxification and the production of bile. Bile plays a crucial role in breaking down fats during digestion. By promoting bile production and flow, lemon peel assists in the emulsification and absorption of fats and it may help dissolve gallstones!

Wow. Lemon peel is powerful.

PLUS it tastes delicious. Lemonade made with lemon juice and peel is just so much more intense. If you’re a lemon fan, this is for you.

I don’t strain this lemonade, so it’s going to have just a slight amount of ‘texture’ in it- that’s the lemon peel- you want that! But you can strain to make it smoother and creamier.

The added whipping cream takes the luxury level up another notch. I love this frothy, Creamy Whole Lemon Lemonade on a hot day. It really hits the spot.

Happy Sipping,
~Monique

Frothy, Creamy ~Whole Lemon~ Lemonade

1 lemon, ends cut off, most of the seeds removed
2 cups water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2-4 tbls maple syrup or honey
2 cups ice

Cut the ends off the lemon, and slice the lemon into chunks. Remove the seeds you can see, but you don’t have to dig for every single one.

Place the lemon chunks in the blender with two cups of water. Blend for 1 minute on high.
OPTIONAL: You can strain at this point. You will lose the lemon peel’s health benefits, but you’ll still gain flavor from the peel. I don’t strain- I like, and am used to, a little texture in the lemonade.

Add in the whipping cream, maple syrup (start with less, you can always add more), and ice. Blend until the ice is broken down and frothy/slushy.

Taste and adjust- adding more water, ice and/or maple syrup as desired.