Peach Gingersnap Ice Cream
At the end of last summer I felt like I had somehow let the season pass without eating my fill of stone fruit. This summer, I am unwilling to make the same mistake. By the time apples show up at market, I want to be so tired of peaches, nectarines, and plums that I don’t mind seeing them go until next year.
This has resulted in me buying peaches every single time I go to the farmers market this season. And although I could eat multiple peaches a day and be happy (which I have done plenty of times), occasionally I want to find other ways to use these summer favorites.
A few weeks ago I made a delicious peach salsa, simple and refreshing with roasted peaches, cilantro, onion, and lime juice. But, potentially my favorite creation of the summer so far is peach gingersnap ice cream. My grandmother, who lives in South Carolina (where they grow the second best peaches in the country), would always serve vanilla ice cream topped with peaches and gingersnap cookies in the summertime. One of my favorite treats, I was inspired to make this creation using my newly acquired ice cream machine. Read on for how I made my peach gingersnap ice cream, and pass along any suggestions for future ice cream flavor combos using market ingredients.
Recipe
Ingredients:
3-4 peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
Crushed gingersnap cookies, to taste
Directions:
Place chopped peaches in a bowl with ¼ cup sugar. Stir, cover, and let sit for at least 1 hour. Transfer peaches and their juices to a food processor. Pulse 3–4 times until coarsely chopped.
In a saucepan, heat cream, milk, ¾ cup sugar, and salt over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves (3–4 minutes). In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth and lighter in color.
Slowly whisk ½ cup of the warm cream mixture into the yolks, then return the egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until slightly thickened and it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in grated ginger just before removing from heat, using more or less depending on how strong you want the ginger flavor..
Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in vanilla and the peaches with their juices. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Churn in an ice cream maker for 20–25 minutes, adding crushed gingersnap cookies in the last few minutes. Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. Make this recipe no waste and use peach skins and pits to make a delicious peach simple syrup perfect for a summer coffee, cocktail, or breakfast dish.
