Peach Ice Cream

In a small saucepan, slowly whisk the cornstarch into 1 cup whole milk, then whisk in the sugar. Heat over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, whisking frequently, until it’s almost simmering and the mixture thickens.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream, salt and vanilla extract.

Transfer the mixture to a large metal or glass bowl. Place the bowl in a smaller bowl of ice water for 1 hour, making sure not to splash any water into the custard (or even quicker, you can pour it into a 1-gallon zip-top bag, seal it, and place the bag in ice water for 30 minutes). Alternatively, simply place the bowl in the refrigerator and wait for 3 hours or until the temperature drops to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, peel the peaches by dropping them into boiling water for 45 seconds, then placing them in a bowl of ice water. Once cool, peel off the skins with your fingers. Chop the peaches into very small pieces. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar, and mash the fruit lightly with a potato masher to make very small pieces (with a texture almost like compote). Set aside.

Pour the custard and the peaches into an ice cream maker and churn according to the ice cream maker instructions, about 25 minutes for soft serve consistency. For a hard ice cream texture, transfer to a loaf pan or sealed container and freeze in the freezer for at least 2 hours (or up to 4 hours). Store in a loaf pan with a parchment sheet over the top or a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.