You didn’t think I was done with ice cream, did you? All of this ice cream has made me a bit nostalgic. It’s funny how certain things bring you right back to your childhood. My son and I were talking about the first ice cream maker I had as a kid  (you know, back in the olden days). Regarding the timeframe I was referring to, the boy added, “Oh yeah, that was when there was only black and white t.v.”. My response to the boy, “Oh and don’t forget the 8 miles I walked to school in the snow… Oh wait, that was your grandparents!”. I’m a child of the 80′s, not only did we have color t.v., we had huge ghetto blasters, and an Apple 2E.

When I think homeade ice cream, I think peach. Why was it so popular? It was my dad’s favorite back then, so I decided to surprise him with an updated version. Halfway into it, I had a funny feeling this wasn’t going to be a hit. The reason… 

Most things are better in their original form. 

Example #1  Darcy on the big screen ~ Even if the hottest man in Hollywood is cast for the part, it will never be like reading Pride and Prejudice for the first, second, third, or fourth time.

Example #2 The Smurfs movie scheduled to release in 2011 ~  Maybe I can deal with Neil Patrick Harris playing a human character, and Katie Perry’s voiceover for Smurfette, but the actor formerly known as Pee Wee Herman in it? I’m not feelin’ it. But here’s the real kicker, Gargamel is going to be in human form, played by Hank Azaria. Papa Smurf is probably turning over in his grave. You cannot turn Gargamel into a human live action character. Note to movie directors, anything from the 80′s needs to stay back in the 80′s.

The moral of my story is that peach ice cream redone with a bunch of variations is never going to be as great as the original, at least for some of you.  If you have a strong attachment to the original, this can’t live up to the expectation. To the rest of you wondering what the heck is so fantastic about peach ice cream, this is a good recipe to try. In addition to fresh peaches, the milk mixture is infused with cinnamon and nutmeg. To give it a crust-like texture, I baked an oatmeal pie crust, broke it into little pieces, and mixed it into the ice cream. Next time, I might just use it as a topping. 

Hmmm… what else is never going to be good as its original?     Oh boy, do I have a few other good answers to this one. This could be a fun topic over a glass of wine, or two!

 (printable recipe)

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream (Inspired by, Spice Dreams) 

Makes about one quart 

Ice Cream: 

1 cup whole milk 

¼ cup plus ¼ cup sugar 

½ tsp.lemon zest 

Pinch of salt 

¼ tsp. cinnamon 

Pinch of nutmeg 

2 large egg yolks 

1 cup whipping cream 

¾ tsp. vanilla. 

2-3 Fresh peaches, skin removed and chopped into small pieces

To make the ice cream combine the milk, ¼ cup sugar, lemon zest, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan. Scald the milk mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

While milk is scalding, whisk egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and whisk until light and fluffy. Whisking constantly, add a small amount of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk.

Return the custard mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often. The custard needs to get thick enough to cover the back of a spoon (approx. 5 minutes). Remove pan from heat and place into a glass bowl of ice. Let the custard cool, stirring often for five minutes

While the custard is cooling, combine the cream and vanilla in a separate bowl. Stir into the custard mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until completely chilled (minimum 4 hours, overnight works too). The custard can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze the chilled custard in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s directions. Add the chopped peaches during the last minute of churning, until just mixed. Stir in oatmeal crunch, or reserve for topping. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours to firm it up before you serve it.

Oatmeal Crust Ice Cream Topping

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. vegetable shortening, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine oats, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt in mixing bowl; stir in butter and shortening. Grease a 8X8 inch Pyrex pan. Press oatmeal mixture into bottom of the pan. Bake for approximately 15 minutes; cool at least 10 minutes. Once cool, break crust into pieces. Store in a Ziploc until ready to use.

*Note – This recipe is not enough to make an 8 inch pie crust.