Our local peach season has come and gone already but you can still make use of your (or a local farmers) peach tree. Did you know you can steep the leaves and get a lovely almond extract type flavor? I am continuously surprised by mother nature (you old sneaky beast, you). Simply warm whatever it is you wish to flavor and steep for 5 minutes; any longer and the flavor will be quite bitter. I steeped the leaves in cream and milk for this recipe but have also thought of steeping them in melted butter and using it to make an almond cookie or cake. Look for that recipe soon 🙂
Flavor
If you have ever used almond extract, you will be very familiar with the flavor the leaves impart. I find almond extract to be overwhelming, however, and much prefer the peach leaf flavor. It adds a little extra interest as there is just a slight astringency on the end (which gets much more intense if you over-steep the leaves). I made one batch of ice cream with no other flavorings and while I loved it, it got kinda boring after a while. The second batch was much more balanced with the addition of vanilla extract. If you wanted to take the flavor up another notch, add a couple tablespoons of your favorite alcohol. I think Kirsch, the cherry flavored liqueur, would be ah-ma-zing. Try it and then promptly bring me some.
Why Homemade Ice Cream
Why make your own ice cream? My arguments are as follows:
The downsides? You need an ice cream maker and although not absolutely necessary, an instant read thermometer is so very useful. Buy it once though and make ice cream any time you want.
Ice Cream Ratio
My recipe is based on the custard ratio used in Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio. The basic ratio is 4 parts milk/cream : 1 part yolk : 1 part sugar by weight. The same ratio is used to make creme anglaise, creme brulee, creme patissiere and ice cream; the difference is in how each item is thickened and/or cooked. I won’t go into the details here, but if you want to learn more about how altering the ratio will change the end result, I highly recommend picking up his book (it includes ratios for tons of other common foods, like pasta, bread, vinaigrette, and more).
Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Passive Time | 8 hours |
Servings |
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Ingredients
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Using a double boiler is the best way to slowly cook a custard without the danger of curdling. To set it up, find a medium to large saucepan that will hold a mixing bowl on top while maintaining 2-3" between the bottom of the bowl and saucepan. Ideally, the majority of the sides of the bowl will set inside the saucepan (if only the bottom of the bowl sits inside the saucepan, it will take for.ev.er to cook).