Peach Pit Ice Cream

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If you like peach ice cream, or any ice cream for that matter, you have to make this.  If you don't have an ice cream machine, go out and buy one, you have to try this recipe.  This, I guarantee, you won't get from Hagen Daz.  So enough praises....

I have not tried making peach ice cream for fear of disappointing myself.  I hate super creamy concoctions which is one of the reasons I prefer gelatos or sorbettos.  The only exception being Hagen Daz coffee ice cream which I adore and could eat the whole pint if left to my own devices.

The other day, leafing through one of Lee' Bailey's old cook books, I came upon this recipe.  What pushed me to try it was the first sentense, This unusual recipe makes a delicious ice cream with a strong peachy flavor. 

Well the result is just the right balance of peaches and cream.  What I will caution you against is making it on a 97 degree day.  It will never freeze in the machine.  I had to take it out and retry again a few hours later.  The alternative is cooling the cream overnight in the refrigerator and freezing in the machine the morning after when it's cooler. Oh, and another thing, the recipe says it will make a quart.  Don't count on it.  By the time you are finished testing to make sure it's okay, you will have gone through a couple of pints!

Make sure you use Georgia peaches, they are smaller but much sweeter and less fuzzy.  I will have to confess to always buying California peaches in the past until I got here.  They looked so big and luscious and Georgia peaches, well, they were much smaller.  Don't be deceived like I was, they are much more flavorful and we are at the height of the season.  After all, this is a Southern recipe!

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds ripe unblemished (Georgia)
peaches (about 8 large peaches)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large egg yolks (at room temperature)

Procedure

Peel* and pit peaches, reserving peach skins and pits. In a food processor or blender, puree peach flesh with the lemon juice. You should have about 2 1/4 cups of puree. Cover and refrigerate (I placed in the freezer).

Place skins and pits in a large saucepan along with the cream and milk. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes, being careful not to let mixture boil. It may look slightly separated because of the acid in the fruit. Stir in sugar to dissolve and remove from the heat.

Whisk yolks and add about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid to warm them. Mix well and pour warmed yolks into the hot mixture, stirring constantly. Return saucepan to the heat and cook until custard coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Be careful not to let mixture boil as it may cause the custard to curdle.

Press a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the mixture and allow to cool. When cool, strain and combine with the fruit pulp. Mix and chill.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Makes about 1 quart

*The best way to peel peaches is to throw them in boiling water for about 30 seconds.  Remove, let cool and the peel will come right off.


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