Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Macerate and puree the peaches
- Toss the diced fresh peaches with 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and the lemon juice, then let sit for 30 minutes to macerate until juicy.
- Blend 2 cups of the peach mixture until smooth, then leave the rest chunky so you have visible peach pieces to fold in later.
Cook the peach custard base
- Heat the heavy cream and whole milk in a Dutch oven over medium heat until steaming, not boiling.
- Whisk the steaming cream mixture slowly into the egg yolks beaten with the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar to temper the eggs.
- Return the mixture to the Dutch oven and cook to 175°F, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Strain the custard and stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and the blended peach puree until evenly combined and glossy.
Chill, churn, and freeze
- Cool the custard completely over an ice bath, stirring occasionally to speed cooling.
- Refrigerate the custard at least 2 hours until well chilled.
- Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions, adding the remaining chunky peach pieces during the last 5 minutes.
- Freeze the churned ice cream at least 2 hours until firm and scoopable. (Look for a dense, hold-your-shape texture.)
Notes
Pro tip: Straining the custard helps create a smooth, creamy base so the peach pieces stand out in each scoop. Store in the refrigerator-freezer at the back of the freezer in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks for best texture; for best scoopability, let sit at room temperature 5–10 minutes before serving. This freezes well (yes). Dietary swap idea: use lactose-free milk and lactose-free heavy cream in equal amounts for a lactose-reduced version.