Test cook Morgan Bolling made this recipe for host Bridget Lancaster on Cook’s Country, Season 18, Episode One (“Georgia on My Mind.”)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: For a peach ice cream that screams peach, a no-custard base was essential to let the delicate fruit flavor come through. A combination of fresh and cooked peaches yielded juicy peach aroma and flavor that permeated each spoonful. Using half-and-half gave the base a creamy consistency while tangy sour cream complemented the natural piquancy of peaches. To keep the ice cream base largely free from ice crystals, light corn syrup did just the trick. Jammy ribbons of peach ripple layered through the ice cream were the perfect accent to highlight the zingy peach flavor without disrupting the smooth texture of the ice cream.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: We recommend using ripe, in-season peaches for this recipe, but you can substitute 3 cups of frozen sliced peaches. The vodka helps reduce iciness in the ice cream. You can omit it if you like, but note that the ice cream will be icier and not as soft. An instant-read thermometer is critical for the best results. Using a prechilled metal loaf pan and working quickly in step 5 will help prevent melting and refreezing of the ice cream and will speed the hardening process. If using a canister-style ice cream maker, be sure to freeze the empty canister at least 24 hours and preferable 48 hours before churning. For self-refrigerating ice cream makers, prechill the canister by running the machine for 5 to 10 minutes before pouring in the custard.
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ pounds ripe peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 1 2/3 cups (11-2/3 ounces) sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
- Pinch table salt
- 1½ cups half-and-half
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1⁄3 cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons vodka
TO PREPARE
STEP ONE. Place 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan in freezer. Combine peaches, ½ cup sugar, 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt in bowl; let sit until about ½ cup liquid accumulates in bowl and peaches soften slightly, 1 to 1½ hours. Drain peaches in fine-mesh strainer set over second bowl. Reserve ½ cup liquid; discard remaining liquid.
STEP TWO. Process drained peaches in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer ½ cup peach puree to small saucepan; reserve remaining puree. Add ½ cup sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice to saucepan and bring mixture to boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of saucepan constantly with rubber spatula, until mixture turns deep orange color, becomes translucent, and registers 218 to 220 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer cooked peach mixture to bowl; let cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
STEP THREE. Bring reserved drained peach liquid to simmer in now-empty saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until liquid is thick and syrupy and registers 218 to 220 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer syrup to large bowl. Add half-and-half, sour cream, corn syrup, vodka, remaining 2⁄3 cup sugar, and remaining reserved uncooked peach puree and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. Cover and refrigerate ice cream base until temperature registers 40 degrees, about 4 hours. (Chilled mixture can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
STEP FOUR. Transfer ice cream base to ice cream maker and churn until mixture resembles thick soft-serve ice cream, 25 to 30 minutes.
STEP FIVE. Spread one-third of ice cream in even layer in prepared loaf pan. Drizzle one-third of reserved cooked peach mixture evenly over ice cream. Repeat 2 more times with remaining ice cream and peach mixture. Drag skewer through ice cream (in rough zigzag and circular patterns all the way to bottom of pan) to create swirls. Freeze ice cream until firm, at least 2 hours. Serve.
