Iron Skillet Peach Ice Cream

Iron Skillet Peach Ice Cream

Roasting peaches intensifies their flavor, and in this old-school recipe, they're mashed and mixed into a rich custard before churning into a creamy, fruit-forward ice cream. Serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce, dollop of whipped cream, or additional roasted peaches to take this dessert over the top.  

Servings:

 

8.  

Ingredients

2 1/4-2 1/2 lb. peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
1 pinch kosher salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel and slice peaches; place in a medium bowl along with any juices to yield about 3 cups. Stir in salt and 1/2 cup sugar. Transfer peach mixture to a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet; cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer skillet to oven. Bake until juices are lightly syrupy, 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through cook time. Remove skillet from oven, and use a potato masher to crush peaches until nearly smooth. Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl, and cool to room temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2. While peach mixture cools, heat milk in a medium saucepan over low, stirring often, until steam rises and small bubbles begin to form around edges of pan (but do not boil), about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl. Gradually pour half of the hot milk mixture into yolk mixture, whisking rapidly to combine. Whisk in remaining milk, and return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until mixture slightly thickens and lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer custard to a large heatproof bowl. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and chill, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 1 hour.

3. Once peaches and custard have cooled, whisk peaches and heavy cream into custard mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight (at least 12 hours) or up to 20 hours.

4. When ready to make the ice cream, pour the cold custard mixture into a 2-quart or larger ice-cream machine canister; churn mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a soft-serve ice- cream consistency, about 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze until firm and scoopable, 3 to 4 hours.