Peach Ice Cream

Peach ice cream is a fresh and fragrant summer delight, a classic to enjoy as a dessert or to cool off. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients

• 500g of ripe peaches
• 150g of sugar
• 200ml of fresh cream
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon of honey (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by washing the peaches, cut them in half, and remove the pits. If you prefer a smoother ice cream, you can peel the peaches, but it’s not strictly necessary.

2. Cut the peaches into chunks and place them in a blender or food processor. Add the lemon juice, which will help preserve the bright color of the fruit, and blend until smooth.

3. In a saucepan, cook the peach puree with the sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally. If you want to add an extra touch, you can include a tablespoon of honey to enhance the natural sweetness of the peaches. Keep on the heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is slightly reduced, then allow it to cool completely.

4. In a bowl, whip the fresh cream until it becomes frothy and slightly firm.

5. Gently fold the whipped cream into the now-cooled peach mixture. Be very gentle with this step to avoid deflating the cream.

6. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make the ice cream. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can pour the mixture into a container, cover with a lid or parchment paper, and put it in the freezer. It’s important to stir the ice cream every 30-40 minutes for the first 2-3 hours to prevent ice crystals from forming.

7. Once the ice cream has reached the desired consistency (typically after about 4-6 hours in the freezer), it is ready to be served.

Trivia

Peach ice cream lends itself to various variations: for example, you can add pieces of fresh peaches to the mixture before freezing to find fruity surprises inside, or mix crumbled amaretti biscuits into the puree for a crunchy contrast and a very Italian hint to the flavor of the famous “Pesca Amaretto”.