4 cups ice cubes, kept in the icebox until ready to use
Garnish:
2 lemons, thinly sliced
Directions:
Allow lemons to come to room temperature.
Wash lemons.
Remove zest with a potato peeler in a continuous spiral from top to bottom. Reserve zest.
Roll each lemon on a clean, hard surface, pressing down firmly with the palm of your hand until the lemon becomes “soft.”
Cut each lemon in half and use a reamer ot remove the juice.
Twist until all the juice is removed from the lemon half.
Remove the pips from the juice. Reserve juice in a glass bowl.
Repeat process until the juice of all 8 lemon halves has been collected.
Bring sugar, zest and 1 cup chilled water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Simmer 5 minutes.
Remove syrup from heat and place on a trivet.
Cover and steep for 30 minutes.
Strain lemon syrup through a sieve into a pitcher. Reserve zest.*
Add lemon juice (if desired, strain lemon juice as it is added to pitcher to remove pulp. Discard pulp) and 3 cups chilled water to lemon syrup in pitcher.
Stir to combine.
Chill for at least 3 hours or until cold.
Remove pitcher from icebox. Add ice cubes. Add lemon slices.
Fill glass with lemonade.
Add 2 lemon slices to each glass.
Serve.
* Place reserved zest on a tray covered with a sheet of parchment paper.
Cut in 3″ pieces. Allow to dry.
Melt dark or semi-sweet chocolate.
Dip dry zest in chosen melted chocolate.
Place chocolate covered zest back on parchment paper.
