gelato di pesche arrosto / roasted peach ice cream

After roasting strawberries (and using them to make gelato and frittata), I turned my attention to peaches, which is easy since I get them in my weekly CSA box. The peaches from Neukom Family Farm are justly famous. Having a steady supply of them throughout the season means that I can carry out experiments like the following one.

I started with the idea that I would roast peaches and use them to make ice cream. The inspiration for the custard part came from the recipe for Peach or Nectarine Ice Cream in my beloved (and recommended) ice cream book: Frozen Dessert by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir. I didn't want the peaches to be utterly soft: I wanted the resulting ice cream to have a bit of fruit texture. After a few tries, I settled on this version (which of course may be further changed in the future).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 g) ripe and flavorful peaches (indifferent peaches make an indifferent gelato, so please look for tasty fruit)
• 1/2 cup (100 g) [ultra-fine] sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup (240 ml) non-fat milk (latte scremato)
• 1 large or extra-large pastured egg
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) vanilla extract of good quality
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream (panna da montare)

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat that is wider and longer than the sheet, so no juice can escape from any side. Wash and cut in half the peaches — you'll most probably use two — then remove the stone (nocciolo). Place the peaches in the baking sheet cut side up. Take a tablespoon (15 ml) of the sugar and distribute it among the hollows left by the stones. Do the same with the lemon juice. Put the peaches in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let peaches cool.

As you can see in the photo, the hollow fills with juice while baking. Empty the juice in the food processor. Remove the skin, put peaches in the food processor and pulse a few times: you want small pieces of peach (pesca) to remain detectable. Pour in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat the milk in a saucepan until quite hot (but not boiling). In a bowl, whisk together egg and remaining sugar. Temper the egg with a bit of the hot milk, then slowly add the rest, while whisking. Put the saucepan on gentle heat, and stir the ice cream base almost constantly. You will notice a thickening. When a film forms over the back side of the stirring spoon (I use a wooden one), draw your finger across. If the line stays clear, the custard is ready. (If it overheats, it will curdle.) Remove the pan from the heat and place in a cold water bath, while stirring the custard. Once cool, cover and place in the fridge until thoroughly chilled.

When ready to churn, add vanilla extract and cream to the custard and stir well to incorporate, then add the peaches and stir some more. Churn in your ice cream maker until it reaches the consistency of gelato. Spoon into serving bowls, serve immediately and enjoy. After plating the ice cream, do not leave what is left over in the machine, but transfer it into a plastic container, cover the surface with wax paper, then put on the lid. Place in the freezer. Take out of the freezer half an hour or so before eating, so the gelato has time to soften.

This gelato has a delicate pastel color and a nice peach flavor. The first time I made it, I served it to six very obliging guests and the deep silence that fell around the table after I had finished passing the last bowl was a welcome signal of success. Are you wondering whether there is going to be also a roasted peach frittata? You bet!

This is my contribution to the event Veggie/Fruit a Month, the vegetarian event created by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes and hosted this month by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, who chose peaches as theme. 

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

 

gelato di pesche arrosto

or launch the gelato di pesche arrosto audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

gelato, ice cream, peach

Comments

[Ivy]

Roasted peaches are just amazing and I can imagine how wonderful this ice cream would be!!

[bellini]

Roasting the peaches is a stroke of genius. I can only imagine the depth of flavour.

[Duespaghetti]

"Indifferent peaches make an indifferent gelato, so please look for tasty fruit" Yes, so true!

This looks delicious. We plan on trying it while good peaches can still be found.

[Catalina]

I'd have never thought about roasting the fruit prior to adding them into an ice cream. The flavor must be really deep! In moments like this I feel like crying because I don't have any free space in my freezer :( Hopefully next year I will. Anyway, your recipe is bookmarked and waiting on my to-do list :D

[Paz]

Oh wow! This is spectacular-looking! Love it!

[Simona Carini]

Ciao Ivy. Indeed they are, and it is fun to figure out ways of using them.

Ciao Val. I like the balance between intensifying the flavor and still keep a bit of body in the fruit.

I hope you do, Cara and Stefano.

Ciao Catalina. I assume that your freezer is full of other goodies. I must admit that I have two freezers at home. I make ice cream regularly so I keep the bowl of the ice cream maker always in the freezer.

Ciao Paz. Thanks!

[Caffettiera]

The flavour of roasted peaches always reminds me of a dessert I loves as a child, pesche baked with a filling of amaretti. I wish I had an ice cream machine (and yes, good peaches as well), I'd love to try an amaretto twist on this one..

[Alicia (Foodycat)]

I think this sounds absolutely heavenly. I don't think I have had any peaches at all this summer!

[Susan]

Divine. Perhaps our ice cream maker is not one of the best, but I've never had luck soft serving directly after churning. It could well be the recipes. I shall try yours, Simona, before the peach season runs dry. This is a fine sweet, all the more intriguing with the flavor of roasted peach. Thanks for sharing it with VFAM - Peaches.

[Frank]

A marvellous idea to roast the peaches. It must intensify the flavor and sweetness of the fruit enormously. Funny that I haven't made ice cream even once this year—perhaps it's time to start…

[Simona Carini]

Ciao Caffettiera. I never had that dessert, probably because my mother disliked turning on the oven. However, she made jars of peaches preserved in syrup, which we then ate topped with whipped cream. Your suggestion is a great one. I can see two possibilities: one is adding crumbled amaretti to the ice cream, either as a topping or in the last couple of minutes of churning (for a move even distribution). The other is to add a bit of Amaretto to the base before churning. They both sound good. I have had an ice cream machine for 12 years now and it is one of the most used small appliances I have in my kitchen. It's also the one that generates most happiness ;)

Ciao Alicia. Was that because of the non-cooperating weather? Though peaches really need sun, so they are a warm climate fruit. There are also yearly variations: some years the crop is tastier than others.

Ciao Susan. Actually, the problem may be in your freezer, assuming you are using a machine like mine, where you keep the bowl in the freezer. It has happened to me as well: you need the bowl well frozen. The freezer may be at an ok temperature for the food but not cold enough to freeze well the liquid in the bowl. So, before you try anything else, decrease the temperature of your freezer for 24 hours and then try using the bowl again. Just to give you an idea, my freezer is at temp level 4, but if I know I am making ice cream I bring it to 5 (which means colder) for 24 hours.

Ciao Frank. Now that you are settled in your new kitchen, you can tackle cooking projects like making ice cream. I hope you can still find some good peaches in your corner of the world.

[ruhama]

So I was looking through the Peach round up a few days ago, lamenting that all the peaches from my tree were used up... and then I got a box full from a friend today!

I knew I wanted to make some sort of ice cream, as my poor maker has been sadly neglected this summer. As I was pondering, I recalled you had a delicious looking recipe in VAFM and immediately grabbed it! Most likely I'll be trying it tonight or tomorrow.

[Simona Carini]

Lucky you to have a peach tree! Please, let me know if you try the recipe. A box full of peaches is a great gift. I also have a recipe for frittata and I will try to post it in the next couple of days.

[ruhama]

Made it and this recipe is heavenly! Hubby was sad I only let him have a little bit... ;) have to save much of it for a friend who just had a baby!

[Simona Carini]

Thank you so much, Ruhama, for letting me know that you liked the result. I hope you'll be able to make another batch, so your husband can eat some more. I am sure your friend will be delighted.