Coming home with an arm-full of fresh, juicy, sweet, succulent sun-ripened peaches from Nashville’s own, The Peach Truck, in the sweltering and achingly humid summer heat could only mean one thing…peach ice cream! Okay, okay, you’re right, it can mean so many a lovely peachy things: pies, preserves, cobblers, tarts, cakes, the list is endless. But in this moment, right now, right here, all I can think of is seeing these ruby speckled gems in a cool, heat quenching Summer Sweet Roasted Peach Ice Cream.
Oh, and I almost forgot, why roast the peaches instead of using them fresh? Because it’s a perfect technique to concentrate and intensify the peach flavor, and by reducing the natural water content in the peach, it makes for a more smooth, creamy and less icy ice cream!
Ingredients:
5 medium ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
1/2 cup (127 grams) packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, may substitute table salt
1 cup (250ml) half and half
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
1 can condensed milk
How to use them:
Preheat the oven to 425° F/218° C. Place the peaches in a baking dish large enough to layer the peaches in one layer.
Add the brown sugar.
Add the sea salt and stir to combine. Once the ingredients are combined, layer the peaches in a single layer.
Roast the peaches for 20 minutes. You can see how during the roasting, the peaches release their sweet juices. Marrying harmoniously with the molasses laced brown sugar, and reducing down to a perfect concentrated concoction. 
When the peaches are done roasting, remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely for about an hour. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. It’s a great idea to roast these peaches ahead of time so that they are properly chilled until you are ready to make the ice cream.
When you are ready to make the ice cream, add the chilled roasted peaches to a blender.
Blend until completely smooth.
Add the half and half, heavy cream, and condensed milk to the peach mixture in the blender, and blend until completely smooth.
Pour the peach mixture into an ice cream maker.
Churn according to manufacturer’s direction and freeze until firm.
Now my friends, scoop out some peachy summer goodness, toss some fresh diced peaches on top, find a porch, and let the cool sweet peach ice cream slowly melt your heart and satisfy your soul.
For a fancier summer dinner party version, thinly slice a peach and fan it out against the side of the bowl. Pretty, huh?
By the way, by the time I was done photographing the ice cream on my own back porch under the Southern summer sun, it had lazily melted into a dreamy peach puddle. Yes, I still ate it, and yes it was insanely delicious!
