Former Peach Capital of the World

I had peaches and cream for breakfast this morning!

Okay, Okay!  Truth be told, it's more properly called Peach Ice Cream.  But we are smack in the middle of the sweltering heat wave of 2019 and so ice cream for breakfast makes sense.

I didn't know that Berlin, Maryland use to hold the name of Peach Capital of the World.  But a blight came through and wiped out the trees and we lost that title.  Johnston, South Carolina is now known as the Peach Capital of the World and Georgia is known as the Peach State.

In honor of living in a formal peach capital, I've been working to perfect my Peach Ice Cream recipe.  I think I finally hit a homerun.  By the way, if you are a foodie, check out https://freshnotfussy.com/ .  My cousin, Kacie Shelsby, is an exceptional cook and a very talented writer.  In fact, she was my inspiration to start blogging again. 

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

5-6 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

 1 cup granulated sugar, separated

 Juice of 1 large lemon

 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. almond extract  

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 TBS flour

Pinch salt

2 eggs (room temperature)

In a large bowl, mix together the peaches, ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, and extracts. Let sit for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and peaches have released their juices. Mash with a potato masher. Measure out 2 cups of the mashed peaches. Reserve the remaining mashed peaches in a small bowl and chill until very cold. Puree the 2 cups in a blender or food processor.

Bring milk and heavy cream to a boil in a large saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg together with the remaining sugar, flour and salt until thick and well mixed. Once the liquid has come to a boil, lower heat, and add a scant half a cup of liquid into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Gradually add the remaining hot liquid into the egg/sugar mixture, while continuing to stir. Once all liquid has been added, mix well. Pour the incorporated mixture back into the saucepan and cook over a medium low heat, stirring continuously. Do not let mixture come to a boil!  Once the custard thickens, pour into a heatproof bowl and mix in the pureed peaches.  Refrigerate the custard for 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Churn according to manufacturer directions. Mix reserved mashed peaches with the ice cream after it’s finished churning and place in an airtight, freezer-proof container. Allow the ice cream to harden for a few hours in the freezer before serving.