Peach Balsamic Ice Cream
Summer is in full swing and so is our ice cream making! Today we are sharing our Peach Balsamic Ice Cream with you. Our local farmer’s market is bursting with ripe, fresh peaches (among so many other beautiful things!) and we want to take advantage of the very short peach season. Using David Lebovitz’s method from his piece for Fine Cooking, we are using pureed fresh peaches and adding a little balsamic – for a smooth vanilla tang – to our ice cream.
This Sunday, July 15th is National Ice Cream Day. Whip up a batch of our Peach Balsamic Ice Cream to celebrate!
Peach Balsamic Ice Cream
Basic Custard Recipe:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 5 large egg yolks
Our Additions:
- 1 ½ pounds fresh, ripe peaches*
- 2 TBSP white balsamic vinegar (we love this one but you can use any high quality white balsamic)
* You can also use frozen peaches. Thaw 1 ¼ pounds frozen peaches in a fine mesh colander set over a bowl until completely thawed then puree as described below.
Peel and pit the peaches and cut into small chunks. Place in food processor (or blender or food mill) and puree until smooth. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup of the heavy cream with the milk, sugar and salt. Warm the cream mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes.
Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water. Set a smaller metal bowl (one that holds at least 3 quarts) in the ice water. Pour the remaining cup of cream into the inner bowl (this helps the custard cool quicker when you pour it in later). Set a fine strainer on top.
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.
In a steady stream, pour half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the yolks from curdling.
Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof cooking spoon or rubber spatula until the custard thickens slightly (it should be thick enough to coat the utensil and hold a line drawn through it with a finger), 4-8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 175˚ to 180˚ at this point. Don’t let the custard overheat or boil or it will curdle. Immediately strain the custard into the cold cream in the ice bath. Cool the custard to below 70˚ by stirring it over the ice bath.
Stir in the pureed peaches until completely incorporated. Chill the custard at least four hours, preferably overnight.
Churn in your ice cream maker following the manufacturers instructions.
Makes about 3 quarts frozen. Keeps well for up to 2 weeks in the freezer.
NOTE: Our ice cream makers only hold 1 ½ quarts so, since we each have one, we split the custard between our two makers. You can also churn half of the custard, clean and refreeze your ice cream maker insert (freeze for at least 12 hours) and then churn the rest. The custard will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days.