Peach Ice Cream

Store bought ice cream is one of those things that just can't compare to homemade. There is just something about making your own ice cream that makes you feel like a super genius. A few simple ingredients thrown into an ice cream maker and *voila*... magic. 

When making peach ice cream you want to use the ripest peaches you can find. Peaches are not a strong flavored fruit so if they are not very ripe then your ice cream won't have much flavor. 

I got my peaches from our local U-pick farm (Old Airport Gardens, in Lillooet). They were wonderful. I purposely picked the ones that had a few bruises and were almost over ripe because I knew they would have the strongest sweetness. They worked out beautifully!

Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients

4 large peaches, pureed

1 cup brown sugar, divided

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cup half and half cream

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Combine peach puree, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Place in fridge while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Combine half and half cream, eggs, and remaining brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stir constantly until thickened - about 10 - 15 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and whisk in whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Pour through a strainer to get rid of any cooked egg bits! 

In a blender, pulse together the peach puree mixture and the strained cream mixture until well combined.

Chill in fridge at least 2 hours. 

When thoroughly chilled, place in the container of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. When done, pour into a container and place in freezer until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.

I love mine served over fresh peaches!

My parents prefer theirs served in a cone!

In the summer, nothing beats fresh peach ice cream on a scorching day!

A lot of people add almond extract to their peach ice cream but I find that even a small amount of almond extract can overwhelm the delicate nature of the peaches. I go with a little vanilla extract to enhance the flavor but that's all. NOTE - if you find your has frozen a little hard - simply let it sit at room temp for 5 - 10 minutes until it softens a bit. 

Just a reminder: when it is stupid hot out - ice cream fixes all your problems. Ice cream fixes everything.