There are few pleasures that compare with homemade ice cream on a hot summer day. Today I had fully ripe Georgia peaches setting on my counter and a Cuisinart Automatic Ice Cream Maker at the ready, so I went in search of the perfect peach ice cream recipe. I am not a fan of fruit sorbet; I want a creamy, rich, vanilla base, with little pieces of fruit suspended in the folds. Not that I'm picky, mind you: at our house we call it, discriminating taste. I unearthed just such a recipe, from Ben & Jerry's files, and adapted it to make it my own. I hope that you enjoy it as much as my family did. Please don't even think about making this if the peaches are not at their peak of ripeness. And I try to be honest about time commitment and cooking: this recipe will take a bit of time and you will have a few dishes to wash, but it will be worth it! 

Ben & Jerry's Fresh Georgia Peach Ice Cream

2 c. peaches, peeled and finely chopped

1 1/4 c. sugar, divided

juice from half a lemon

2 large eggs

2 c. whipping cream

leftover peach juice and milk to make 1 cup liquid

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine the peaches, 1/2 c. sugar and lemon juice in a bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes. Remove the peaches from the refrigerator and drain the juice into another container, reserving for later use. Return the peaches to the refrigerator.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time. Add the vanilla. Keep whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream whisk to blend. Add the reserved peach juice/milk and blend. 

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. When the ice cream is stiffened and minutes from finished, carefully spoon the diced peaches into the machine and churn for a few more minutes. Store in the freezer until ready to serve. Makes a generous quart. 

Next time I will save some of the diced peaches to sprinkle on top when I serve it.