When peaches are abundant and oh-so-ripe and fragrant, it’s hard to pick a favorite dessert to make with them. After all, they hardly need embellishing as they are divine to eat out of hand. That said, having a batch of this short-cut (no ice cream machine needed!) ice cream in the freezer is like having a secret stash of happiness at your fingertips especially on a hot summer evening.
Skip the machine! Instead of using a classic ice cream machine (electric or hand-crank), fold together the concentrated peach puree, sweetened condensed milk and some whipped cream (you can use a mixer or whip it by hand) and tuck this luscious combo into the freezer until it is firm enough to scoop. While not quite as airy and light as its churned cousin, the results are velvety-smooth and super flavorful – and all without a major appliance. It’s just that easy.
Why roast the peaches? While it might seem like an extra, and maybe unnecessary, step before making this ice cream, roasting cooks off the excess water in the peaches, making a more concentrated, deeper flavor which also eliminates any icy texture in the finished ice cream.
No-Churn Roasted Peach Ice Cream is delicious served on its own but here are a few other Baking Together recipes to make and/or serve with this ice cream:
Irresistible Ice Cream Sandwiches. The peach ice cream is fabulous in these ice cream sandwiches. If you do plan to use it that way, before freezing the empty loaf pan, lightly grease the bottom and sides, then line the inside (bottom and sides) with plastic wrap. Once the ice cream is frozen, unmold onto a cutting board, peel away the plastic, cut into slices and assemble as directed.
Strawberry Shortcake. Instead of fresh strawberries and whipped cream, use fresh sliced peaches and the peach ice cream to make delicious shortcakes. It’s also a good time of year to revisit some of our other peachy-keen Baking Together recipes.
Skillet Peach Cobbler with Ginger-Orange Biscuits is an ideal dessert to bring to the dinner table and serve straight out of the skillet.
Streusel-Topped Ginger Pear Coffee Cake, using peaches in place of the pears, makes a delicious breakfast.
Fresh sliced peaches – lightly sweetened, if you like – are also a perfect accompaniment to slices of Cream Cheese Pound Cake or Glazed Lemon Pound Cake.
Kitchen Notes
Choosing Peaches
- As with all fruits, select ripe and fragrant peaches for the best flavor and texture. If peaches are just shy of being ripe when you buy them, leave them on your kitchen counter for a day or two to ripe.
Swap-In Fruits
- Nectarines are an easy substitution for the peaches.
- Blueberries & raspberries Soft fruits like blueberries and/or raspberries can be used in place of the peaches. Use one pound of washed, dried berries in place of the peaches. (Make sure to weigh your berries – not all pre-packaged berries are one pound.) Roast according to the directions, reducing the roasting time to about 15 minutes, stirring a few times. Once again, you are looking for very soft fruit along with vigorously bubbling juices, and the mixture should measure 1 1/3 cups once it has settled down.
Flavor Add-Ins
- Feel free to add finely grated lemon or orange zest to the fruit after roasting.
- A bit of grated fresh ginger adds a slightly spicy, citrus-y kick to the peach flavor. Add a bit to the puree and add more, little by little, tasting as you go. You don’t want to overpower the peachy-ness. A tablespoon or two of finely chopped fresh mint or basil is a nice add-in. Fold it into the puree along with the whipped cream for a fun, flavor accent. As an added bonus, the green flecks are pretty.
Shapes
- For the best “scoop-ability”, I recommend using a narrow, deep loaf pan. I use Pyrex but a metal pan is A-okay too. In a pinch, a 4-cup bowl works just fine. Popsicle molds would also be a fun choice too. Afterall, it’s summertime!
