Peach Cobbler Ice Cream (no churn)

Summer and ice cream go together like… well, summer and ice cream*. So every summer I throw an Ice Cream Social, where we break out a giant under-the-bed storage container, fill it with ice, and create an ice cream buffet. Every guest is encouraged to bring a pint of their favorite ice cream to contribute, and we indulge in an afternoon of sugary, creamy goodness.

Traditionally I make two homemade ice creams to contribute, so this year I made Butterbeer ice cream and (because my ice cream maker is being temperamental) a no-churn Peach Cobbler ice cream. The components may take a little while to make, but there’s nothing difficult about any of them– and when you’re done you’ve got delicious vanilla ice cream flecked with cinnamon, studded with streusel, and swirled with cinnamon-sauteed peaches. What could be better?

*Ooh, ooh! I just thought of a better comparison! Summer and ice cream go together like peaches and cream!

Sauteed peaches:

2 large (or 3 small) ripe peaches, diced with the skin on

2 tbs butter

2-3 tbs brown sugar (depends on how sweet your peaches are)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir over medium-low heat until melted and just starting to bubble. Add diced peaches and continue to cook until the juices thicken into a sticky sauce and the peaches are tender. Remove from heat, transfer to a plate or shallow pan, and chill completely.

Streusel

1/2 cup flour

4 tbs butter, cold and diced into 1/2″ pieces

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cut butter into remaining ingredients with pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers. Continue to mix until it forms a dough. Crumble onto a foil-lined baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 8-10 minutes. Let cool, break into pieces, and freeze.

Ice cream base (when combined with peaches and streusel, makes 2 quarts)

1 pint heavy cream

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk (weight, not volume)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Whip cream until it holds soft peaks (okay, maybe a little stiffer than that, but not much). In a separate bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Fold into the whipped cream along with the peaches and streusel, trying to maintain the fluffy texture as much as possible.

Pour the mixed ice cream into a freezer-safe container, and freeze overnight.

Scoop, serve, and enjoy!

Notes:

1. As noted above, this recipe makes 2 quarts of ice cream. That’s an awful lot– almost twice as much as “normal” recipes, but it’s delicious enough that you’ll be happy to have it. Just make sure your freezer container is big enough to fit it all!

2. Alternatively, you could halve the streusel and peach recipes, make 1 quart of this ice cream, and use the remaining ice cream base for another flavor– maybe mix in Oreo cookies, crumbled up pralines, or a chocolate swirl?

3. The peaches can freeze a bit hard in this one, so cut them up small (smaller than in my photo, probably) to avoid big icy chunks in your ice cream.