In my last style post, I mentioned that I had taken an ice cream/sorbet making class. I had made ice cream before at home, and thought it might be fun to branch out and make some new (and old favorite) flavors. In the class we made blackberry-cassis sorbet, mango-honey sorbet, mint chocolate chip ice cream and peach mascarpone ice cream.
If you couldn't already tell, the peach mascarpone was my favorite. I was definitely scraping my bowl when we sampled this one. It tastes like peach cheesecake and is a great way to use fresh peaches when they are in season.
I topped mine with graham cracker crumbs, but you could also add them to the actual ice cream to add to the cheesecake feel. You could also use cream cheese in place of the mascarpone for a slightly sweeter taste (the mascarpone is similar in taste and texture to cream cheese, only slightly tangier and a bit lighter). Mascarpone can be pretty pricey and cream cheese would also be a cheaper alternative. You could also mix the cream cheese with a bit of whipping cream and sour cream to make a mascarpone substitute.
Click through for full recipe!
Makes 1 Quart
1 1/2 pounds fresh peaches (About 3-4 peaches)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
1 cup mascarpone cheese
To Prepare Peaches:
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. While water is heating, prepare an ice water bath and set aside. With the tip of a paring knife, mark an 'X' at the top of each of the peaches. Place them into the boiling water, until the skin (where you made the mark) starts to peel away, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove peaches from the water and place them in the ice bath. This will help them cool down and keep them from cooking further.
When the peaches are cool enough to touch, peel the skin and remove the pit. Slice each peach into 1/2 inch wedges and place them in a saucepan. Add lemon juice and 1 cup of sugar. Cook mixture over medium heat and stir occasionally. This should cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the peaches are tender, sugar has dissolved, and there is a slightly thick liquid in the pan. Set aside to cool.
When peach mixture has cooled, pour into a blender or food processor. Make sure the mixture has cooled enough or that there is a slight vent for the steam (or else there will be splatter). Puree mixture until it is smooth.
To Prepare Ice Cream Base:
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cream, milk, remaining sugar (3/4 cup), and salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the liquid just starts to simmer.
In a separate bowl add your remaining cream (1 cup). Keep this in the fridge to keep it cool or put the bowl in an ice bath.
In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. SLOWLY pour the warmed mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Pouring slowly and whisking at the same time will keep the eggs from scrambling. Pour the cream and egg mixture back into the saucepan.
Heat the mixture, making sure to sure to stir often. Heat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow mixture to boil or the eggs will scramble.
Take your bowl of cream that was set aside earlier. Put a fine mesh strainer overtop of the bowl. Pour your custard through the strainer and set aside to cool.
When your ice cream base is cool, add in your peach puree and mascarpone. Whisk until it is smooth and there are no mascarpone lumps. Transfer mixture to freezer and let it chill for about 3 hours.
To Prepare Ice Cream:
When your ice cream base is chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer mixture to an airtight container and freeze.
If you don't own an ice cream maker, you can always just use your freezer. Take your base out of the freezer every hour or so and stir it up, then return it to the freezer. I usually do this 3-4 times, then let the ice cream freeze up overnight.
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