Fresh Peach Ice Cream

 I'm getting down to the bottom of our peach box and was nervous that I wouldn't have enough to get this Fresh Peach Ice cream recipe made this summer.  It's supposedly Ben & Jerry's recipe, so it has to be good, right?  (Ever had Chunky Monkey? My fave.)

During the temporary demise of Blue Bell (remember that?), I pulled out a bunch of ice cream recipes looking for the best one that might rival the Big B's Homemade Peach Ice Cream.  

This one came close with it's creaminess and chunks of peaches.

Remember when we used to have to hand-crank the ice cream maker packed with rock salt? My parents tricked us into thinking it was a special privilege to do it and after about 10 minutes of cranking we'd think, "hey, this isn't fun!!"  

Still, the next summer they'd trick us into doing it again.

It was worth the work, though, for that fresh, homemade ice cream.

You have a bit of preparation to do for this Fresh Peach Ice cream since the chopped peaches need to be macerated (softened in a sugar/lemon mixture) for a couple of hours to get the wonderful, sweet peach juice that's added to the ice cream base.  It's what gives the ice cream that deep peachy flavor.

It does take an ice cream maker to make this properly.  I use the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker.  It's fairly compact and can sit comfortably on the counter while it chugs away.  

It only took about 25 minutes to get it to the consistency needed before packing it into a freezer-safe container to let it set up.

We've been enjoying this ice cream immensely!

Next time I'll puree the peaches after they're strained from the maceration syrup, because they were a little crunchy after the freezer time. Pureeing the peaches will blend them in better with the oh-so-smooth ice cream.

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Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Yield: 2 quarts

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Inactive Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes

Refreshing and creamy.  Adapted from Ben & Jerry's.

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Ingredients

• 2 C of peeled, , finely chopped peaches
• 1 ¼ C sugar, , divided
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 2 C heavy or whipping cream
• 1 C whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Combine the peaches, ½ cup of sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes or so.
2. Remove the peaches from the refrigerator and drain the peach juice into another bowl.  Cover and return the peaches to the refrigerator. (If you want smoother ice cream, puree the peaches before you refrigerate.)
3. In a mixer bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy.  Slowly whisk in the remaining ¾ cup of sugar, then continue blending until completely combined, about 1 minute.  Add in the cream, milk, and vanilla and whisk to combine.  Stir in the peach juice until blended.
4. Transfer the mixture to a 2 qt. ice cream maker and freeze, following the manufacturer's instructions.  A few minutes before the mixture is done, pour in the peaches and let it run until they are combined throughout the ice cream.  Pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
5. After you put the ice cream servings into a bowl, let them sit a few minutes before serving to soften a bit.

Notes

Tips and Stuff :

Don't overfill your ice cream maker.  The mixture will "grow," so leave at least ½ " at the top of the maker.

If your peaches are particularly juicy you may not have to wait 2 hours for the syrup.  There should be at least a cup of juice from the macerated peaches.

Pureeing the chilled peaches if you want them to blend into the ice cream better.

After freezing, I like to dip out the ice cream and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.  It's still frozen, but is a little bit creamier.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 395Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 65mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 42gProtein: 5g

Nutrition Values are Approximate