Peach Ice Cream

Peaches are so plentiful and delicious right now that our local grocery store is hosting their annual “Peach-O-Rama”. They feature peaches from Pence and Frog Hollow Orchards. Right now I have pounds and pounds of “Extra Fancy, Large Regina Peaches”.

As I was trying to figure out what to do with all of the gorgeous peaches in season, I put it up for grabs on my Heather Christo facebook page. This was a request from blog reader Lisa, who shared that it is blistering hot in the heartland, and she would love a Peach ice cream recipe. My husband happily agreed! I have actually been planning to make Peach Ice Cream all summer, so it was great timing.

This ice cream is rich, creamy and full of peach flavor. It tastes like summer!

I have to mention, that this also gave me a chance to use my brand new INCREDIBLE blender, the vita-mix 5200. A string of bad accidents/bad luck with my Waring brand blender (3 in 3 weeks- I am not kidding), led me to my latest love. These are expensive, there is no doubt about it- but they are supposed to last a life time. And while I have drooled over it on-line, I had not been able to get myself to pull the trigger in the checkout. When I saw it at COSTCO for about 30% less, I decided it was a sign! They are selling them as I write this!! Anyways- it is just as great as all of the hype. Ised it to liquefy my peaches in two seconds flat. Amazing.

(vitamix 5200=love)

(Pia, my “helper”)

Peach Ice cream, makes 1 ½ Quarts

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

3 large eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar

4 cups of peeled peaches, (this is about 5 large peaches)

In a medium sauce pan add the milk, cream and vanilla. Heat it on low until it is just steaming, not boiling!

Meantime, add the eggs and a pinch of salt to a standing mixer. Beat the eggs on high, until it starts to get pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, another minute.

Using a ladle, add a few tablespoons of the hot milk to the sugar and egg while the mixer is still going.

Continue to add a little hot milk at a time until it is all incorporated. The hot milk will have cooked the sugar and eggs without making scrambled eggs!

Put the mixture back into the saucepan, and cook on very low heat, stirring almost constantly.

The mixture needs to cook for about 10 minutes. You need to watch it constantly and catch it right at the point where it has thickened into a custard and coats the back of a spoon.

Please don’t walk away, if it over cooks, you will get scrambled eggs!! (I know, because I did it last night!).

When it is all finished cooking, pour it into a glass bowl, and put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight to chill all of the way.

(This is what it looked like after chilling overnight)

Peel the peaches, (they sell great “soft-fruit and vegetable peelers” that make this very easy).

Roughly cut the peaches off of the pit.

Place two cups into a blender and puree it until very smooth.

With the other two cups, run a sharp knife through them until they have a rough chop consistency.

Add the puree to the chopped peaches. Refrigerate until you are ready to churn the ice cream.

(this is what the peach puree looked like after chilling over night. The natural pectin made the puree firm up.)

Add the chilled custard to the frozen ice cream canister. Add about 1/2 of the chilled peach mixture to the custard.

Churn according to manufacturers directions. About 5-10 minutes into the process, add the rest of the peaches.

(Pia waiting for her turn to help)

(Pia scraping the other half of the peaches into the ice cream)

(Coco laughing about the whole thing from the floor.)

Finish the churning according to the manufacturers directions.

Empty the ice cream into a plastic container and freeze at least a couple of hours or until the ice cream is firm enough to scoop.

(after sitting in the freezer a few hours)

(A very pleased “helper” eats ice cream for breakfast.)