Thursday, August 6, 2009

Honey Peach Ice Cream


Finally, some homemade food at our house! Since I have an official ice cream taste tester, my 2 1/2 year old, I'm getting lots of opportunities to try new ice cream recipes this summer. By the time this recipe is posted, my tester will likely have finished this batch! Based on the quantities of ice cream being consumed at our house summer will not likely be the end of our ice cream making extravaganza. I already have some fall ice cream recipes flagged to try. Since Dorie's blueberry sour cream ice cream was such a big hit, I decided to try the honey peach ice cream also from Baking from My Home to Yours. This recipe did not disappoint. This one was a little more involved than the last, since it involved making a custard first. The peach flavor was very pronounced in this recipe and enhanced nicely by the sweetness from the honey. I opted not to dice the remaining peaches and add them at the end, instead keeping this one smooth and creamy! I also substituted vanilla bean paste for the vanilla extract. So, if you have any great ice cream recipes, feel free to pass them on to our house! Our ice cream maker is churning quite a bit!

Honey Peach Ice Cream

4 large ripe peaches (about 2 pounds), peeled and pitted
1/4 cup honey
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)

Coarsely chop half the peaches into 1/2 inch chunks and toss them into a small saucepan. Add the honey and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until the peaches are soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and whir to puree. (Alternatively; use a hand blender.) Set the peach puree aside while you make the custard.

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they don't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard into a 2 quart glass measuring cup or clean heatproof bowl. Stir in the vanilla and the peach puree.

Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into ice cream. Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, finely dice the remaining 2 peaches, then, just before the ice cream is thickened and ready, add the peaches and churn to blend. Pack the ice cream into a container and freezer for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That sounds fantastic!

Foodie with Little Thyme! said...

Looks great. I'll bet my two-year-old would love this.

Laura said...

I bet this is so light and refreshing. Looks great!