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Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Source of Recipe

From "The Glory of Southern Cooking" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"Southerners can be pretty particular about lots of regional dishes, but when it comes to fresh peach ice cream (or peach cobbler or peach preserves), the debates can become brutal. Which is the more ideal peach: a Georgia Belle or South Carolina Elberta? Are June cling peaches juicy enough for ice cream, or will only freestones do? Can cornstarch be used to thicken the custard, or will only extra egg yolks and plenty of heavy cream produce the right texture? How long should the ice cream be allowed to 'mellow' before being served? Does an electric freezer make as good ice cream as an old-fashioned hand-cranked one? All I know is that I've never, ever eaten perfect peach ice cream except in the South (and only during the summer), and, all modesty aside, there's no better basic recipe than this one, prepared in a wooden-bucket electric ice cream freezer. I will confess that lately I've been adding a fresh mango or a little freshly grated ginger to my peach ice cream, and either makes it even more sublime. 'Heresy!' I can hear certain friends in Georgia and Kentucky and Mississippi bellow."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 large fresh, ripe peaches
â—¦ 1 ½ cups sugar
â—¦ 3 large eggs
â—¦ 2 cups half-and-half
â—¦ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
â—¦ Dash of salt
â—¦ 1 pint heavy cream
â—¦ 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract


Recipe

Peel and pit the peaches, cut them into small pieces, and place half the pieces in a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of the sugar and stir till the sugar is dissolved. Cover the peaches tightly with plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. In another bowl, mash the remaining peaches with a heavy fork and refrigerate.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, whisk the eggs till frothy, add the half-and-half, and whisk till well blended. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, the remaining ½ cup sugar, and the salt, mix till well blended, and gradually whisk this into the egg mixture. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, till the custard thickens slightly. Remove the pan from the heat, let cool, cover, and chill for 2 hours.

In a bowl, combine the mashed peaches, heavy cream, and vanilla, add this to the cold custard, and stir till well blended. Pour the mixture into the container of a wooden-bucket electric ice cream freezer and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. When the ice cream is frozen (it will still be slightly soft), remove the dasher and stir the peach pieces and any juice into the ice cream. Cover the container, pack more ice and ice cream salt around the container if necessary, and allow the ice cream to mellow for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Freeze any leftover ice cream in airtight containers.

Makes ¾ gallon, 12 to 15 servings