Summer Peach Ice Cream

Although I am not a huge fan of a sticky, hot heat wave, I do love summer for other reasons such as cool, still mornings, hazy summer evenings, meadows of wildflowers and sweet, juicy peaches that are just perfect to make this classic, porch sittin' treat!

Smooth and velvety, this custard based ice cream is cool, refreshing and just what the doctor ordered on muggy, hot days when you have no choice but to eat it for supper, breakfast and maybe a nip or two for lunch!

To make this old time dessert, you will need heavy cream (35%), half & half cream (10%), 4 egg yolks, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract and fresh peaches for puree and diced peaches to stir into the custard mixture.

In a large bowl, combine 4 eggs yolks, 2/3 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tsp. of pure vanilla extract.....

...whisk until fluffy and the egg yolks are a lighter colour.

Next, pour in 1 cup of half & half cream and 2 cups of heavy cream...stir to combine.

Pour into a medium saucepan, set over medium/low heat and whisk constantly until mixture heats up and begins to thicken...the custard is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon...(it will not be really thick, but a nice pouring consistency of perhaps cream...it will thicken up as it cools and in the fridge).

A lot of people say to temper the egg yolks by adding a little bit of hot liquid to the yolks then by pouring it all into the rest of the liquid before thickening...this eliminates the chance of cooking your yolks but I find that if you whisk the mixture all together, then heat it up slowly over a fairly low heat, just like I do for custards and homemade puddings, the eggs are fine. I strain it all after anyways, just in case there are tiny bits of egg that have cooked...which is what many cookbooks say to do even after tempering your egg mixture.

When the custard is ready, pour through a fine mesh sieve, into a medium bowl, to catch any tiny bits of cooked egg. Immediately put a piece of plastic wrap over the surface to ensure that the custard does not form a skin on top. Let custard sit on the counter until it cools slightly then place in the fridge for several hours or overnight...the colder the custard, the better the ice cream!

Wash, peel and puree enough peaches to make 2 cups...leave a couple of peaches to dice if you would like some chunks of fruit in your ice cream...I used a 1/2 cup of diced peaches.

Remove custard from the fridge once it has chilled for the required length of time and stir in your puree and diced peaches (if you are adding them in).

Next, pour the custard into the canister of your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's directions for processing.

Once your ice cream maker has done it's thing, the consistency will be like soft serve...

...it is great eaten like that, or if you like a firmer ice cream you must "ripen" or "harden" it by scraping the soft ice cream into a bowl or container...

...then place a cover or piece of plastic wrap over top and put it into the freezer for several hours until it has hardened. Homemade ice cream gets quite dense and hard straight out of the freezer but letting it sit out for a few minutes, will soften it to a nice scooping consistency

...and there you have it... an old fashioned, front porch swinging, lightning bug watchin', lazy summer evening treat!

Summer Peach Ice Cream

4 egg yolks

2/3 cup of granulated sugar

1 tsp.of pure vanilla extract

1 cup of half & half cream (10%)

2 cups of heavy cream (35%)

2 cups of peach puree

1/2 cup of diced peaches

1. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

2. Pour in the half & half and heavy cream and stir until combined.

3. In a medium saucepan, set over medium/low heat, whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

4. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap to prevent skinning. Let sit on the counter to cool slightly and then put in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

5. Remove from fridge and stir in the puree and diced peaches. Next, freeze according to the manufacturer's directions of your ice cream maker...enjoy!

...and speaking of homemade ice cream, I'm giving away THIS... (this giveaway is now closed)

...AN ICE CREAM MAKER to one lucky winner!! An old fashioned (but brand spankin' new) variety, that churns out rich, creamy homemade ice cream every time! This rustic wooden barrel, (with a metal inner canister) machine uses an electric churn or it can be converted into a hand crank version if you are feeling energetic or if you just want to kick out old school like one of the "Waltons"!

This ice cream maker is made by "Elite" and uses layers of ice and salt just like our grandparents would have used...or if you are a young "whipper snapper", just like your great-grandparents would have used!!

To enter this draw, simply follow the rules below: **This giveaway is now closed...congratulations to Samantha S!!**

Giveaway Rules

1. Simply type in your first name and email address (with or without a comment) in the spaces provided in the "comments" section at the bottom of this page.

*** your email address will not be made public (only I can see it) providing that you do not add your email address into the box where your name or comment goes, there is a separate box for your email address.

2. If you do not enter an email address, your entry will not be considered as it is necessary for me to contact the winner.

3. You do not need to be a subscriber to win, anyone may enter.

4. The winner will be randomly drawn on Sunday, August 21, 2016...the winner will be contacted by email for further shipping details.

5. Only one entry per person, thanks! :)

6. Good luck!!

* This promotion is subject to the Laws of the Province of Ontario and the Federal Laws of Canada as applicable. The selected entrant will be required to correctly answer a (very easy) skill testing question to qualify for the prize.

Official Rules and Regulations

(the fine print stuff )

1. This contest is sponsored by The Rustic Wife

2. The chance of being selected in the prize draw is dependent on the number of entries entered during the contest period.

3. All contest entries are the property of The Rustic Wife and none will be returned. Entries which have been obtained or made through fraudulent means or which are illegible, altered, reproduced, mutilated, or irregular, are subject to disqualification. The Rustic Wife will not be responsible for entries lost, destroyed, misdirected or delayed for any reason whatsoever, or for any incorrect or inaccurate capture of information, technical malfunctions, human or technical error, visual or printing errors, or garbled data or transmission, omission, interruption, deletion, defect or failures of any telephone, computer line or network, computer equipment, software or any combination of thereof. All decisions with respect to this contest are final. The Rustic Wife does not accept any responsibility, in whole or in part for loss, damage or injury how so ever caused in connection with the prize or the conduct of the "Elite Ice Cream Maker" Giveaway.

4. The Rustic Wife is not responsible for commencing, continuing or completing the “or awarding prizes" in the event of circumstances beyond The Rustic Wife control, and may, at it's sole discretion, change or alter this contest, as deemed necessary.

5. These Official Rules and Regulations govern this promotion and must be followed, and by agreeing to participate in the promotion, all entrants agree to comply with, and be bound by these Official Rules and Regulations.

6. All references to times and dates reflect Eastern Time.

.