The Essence of Summer in a Sweet, Creamy Scoop

Jammy ribbons of peach ripple add punches of color and flavor. America's Test Kitchen/TNS

For a peach ice cream that screams peach, a no-custard base was essential to let the delicate fruit flavor come through. A combination of fresh and cooked peaches yielded juicy peach aroma and flavor that permeated each spoonful.

Using half-and-half gave the base a creamy consistency, while tangy sour cream complemented the natural piquancy of peaches. To keep the ice cream base largely free from ice crystals, light corn syrup did just the trick.

Jammy ribbons of peach ripple layered through the ice cream were the perfect accent to highlight the zingy peach flavor without disrupting the smooth texture of the ice cream.

Peach Ripple Ice Cream

Serves 8 (makes about 1 quart)

• 1 1/2 pounds ripe peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 2/3 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• Pinch table salt
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons vodka

Combine peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt in a bowl; let sit until about 1/2 cup liquid accumulates in the bowl and peaches soften slightly, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain peaches in a fine-mesh strainer set over a second bowl; reserve liquid.

Process drained peaches in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer 1/2 cup peach puree to a small saucepan; reserve remaining puree. Add 1/2 cup sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice to a saucepan and bring mixture to boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of saucepan constantly with rubber spatula, until mixture turns deep orange color, becomes translucent, and registers 220 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer cooked peach mixture to bowl; let cool slightly, then refrigerate until needed.

Bring reserved drained peach liquid to simmer in the now-empty saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until liquid is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Transfer syrup to a large bowl. Add half-and-half, sour cream, corn syrup, vodka, remaining 2/3 cup sugar, and remaining reserved uncooked peach puree and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate ice cream base until temperature registers 40 degrees F, about 4 hours. (Chilled mixture can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

Transfer ice cream base to ice cream maker and churn until mixture resembles thick soft-serve ice cream, 25 to 30 minutes.

Spread one-third of ice cream in an even layer in 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Drizzle one-third of reserved cooked peach mixture evenly over ice cream. Repeat 2 more times with remaining ice cream and peach mixture. Drag a skewer through ice cream (in rough zigzag and circular patterns all the way to the bottom of the pan) to create swirls. Freeze ice cream until firm, at least 2 hours. Serve.

Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to [email protected]