BAKING

Peaches! Peaches! Peaches!


Katy Nail
Still Life with Three Peaches, 2002
Oil on Canvas
31 3/4″ x 26 1/2″
Morgan Private Collection
Local Artist and Friend

That’s right, you’re not from Texas! But if you were, you would know that summertime = peaches n’ cream ice cream. And not just any old peach ice cream. The first rule of thumb was to never in a million years use frozen peaches. The peaches had to come from Fredericksburg or Stonewall, Texas, two towns that are renowned for their incredible peach specimens. Forget Georgia and all their debutants. If you want peaches that will send juices rushing down your forearm and dripping from your elbows, then try an ORGANIC Texas peach. You will never be the same again, I promise.

When I was growing up, I have many memories of being outside at dusk in the bathing suit I had been wearing all day long to help crank the ice cream machine and pour in the rock salt to keep the ice extra cold. Mosquitoes would be swarming around my head and ankles like a band of heathens performing their ritualistic dance just before the sacrifice is made. And fire flies blinking yes and then no throughout the yard while the cicadas announced the rising of the moon with their unmistakable staccato buzz humming song. My bare feet nearly as dark as the soil itself from living under the sun and my eyes never pulling away from the top of the ice cream canister, because once the canister bulged, the promise of peach ice cream was that much closer. It was almost always peach ice cream.

For today’s peach ice cream, I was super lucky to have obtained my peaches from Boggy Creek Farm located right here in town and just look at how tiny they are!



They are adorable and the aroma, I wish you could just inhale one small whiff of these fragrant little orbs. They are so ripe with sweetness you inevitably have an involuntary response: your eyes are closed as your nostrils flare as they pull that one particular smell deep within your very bones, never to be forgotten. If you make this recipe just once, it too will remain in the annuls of your culinary memory, never to be forgotten.








CHEEKY PEACH ICE CREAM


4 Cups (about 13 small peaches) Fresh (Organic where possible) Peaches, peeled, sliced and then cut in half
¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
4 Cups Half and Half
5 Egg Yolks + 2 Whole Eggs
6 Tablespoons Sugar
½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Mexican Vanilla Extract
¼ Teaspoon Almond Extract
1 Cup Heavy Cream


In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the half and half until just before the boiling point. Immediately remove from the heat, set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt until silky smooth. Take your reserved heated light cream and begin ladling it into your eggs, whisking the entire time. Repeat this process until all of your half and half has been incorporated and then return to the pan to completely cook your custard. While heating your custard, stir incessantly so as to prevent the eggs from curdling; heat until the custard begins to thicken, about five minutes. Remove from the burner, pour your custard into a large clean bowl, stir in the Mexican Vanilla and almond extract and refrigerate until cold.

While waiting for your custard to cool, prepare your peaches. Peel all of your peaches, slice them and then cut your slices in half so all of your pieces are bite-sized. If you are using large peaches, I recommend tailoring your cut pieces until you have the smallness of your liking. Pour the ¾ cup of granulated sugar over the peaches, toss lightly and allow to sit until the sugar has completely dissolved.

After your custard has cooled, pour half of your mixture into your ice cream maker. When the machine begins to rotate, pour in ½ cup of the heavy cream and mix for about 20 minutes. Then add the peaches and freeze until the machine turns off. Repeat this process with the remaining half of your ingredients for the second batch.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.



June 13th, 2007 — 6:59 am

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