Bourbon Peach Brown Sugar Ice Cream Recipe

A slightly boozy, butterscotch-like ice cream made bright by fresh ripe peaches.

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Photograph: Max Falkowitz

I'm not done with peaches yet.

Sorbet is one thing, and a very good thing at that. But Labor Day has come and gone and I'm looking for desserts with a little more creaminess to them, something cozy and warming to prepare me for fall. Like brown sugar. And bourbon.

Basically, this ice cream is a cobbler in a cup.

The brown sugar hits you first, warm and a little molasses-y, followed by the honeyed flavor of peach and a delicate kiss of bourbon in place of vanilla. It's sweet, but hey, so are peaches, and the ice cream retains some of the fruit's light acidity bolstered by the brown sugar. Riding through it all is an intense butteriness that comes from lots of heavy cream. And yes, it's worth it.

It's also simple to make: Blend together your sugar, peaches, and cream. Strain. Cook it down for just a couple minutes to concentrate the flavor and enrich the texture. Then chill and churn. No eggs to separate, no mix-ins to prepare.

The ice cream is pretty scoopable straight from the freezer, and though I've been enjoying it straight up, there's one last scoop's worth I'm saving for some warm cobbler. Some cobbler on cobbler action, as it were.

Recipe Details

Bourbon Peach Brown Sugar Ice Cream Recipe

Active 60 mins
Total 12 hrs
Serves 8 servings
Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 4 peaches (about 2 pounds whole), pitted and chopped

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

  • 1/4 cup light (clear) corn syrup

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste)

  • 2 tablespoons bourbon

Directions

  1. In a blender or food processor combine peaches, cream, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Blend on high until all ingredients are very well combined, about 30 seconds.

  2. Pour through a strainer into a heavy saucepan. Turn heat on medium high and bring base to a simmer, stirring frequently. Let simmer for 2 minutes, or until base becomes slightly syrupy, then remove from heat and transfer to an airtight container. Stir in salt to taste, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, then add bourbon. Cover and chill overnight.

  3. The next day, churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to container and chill in freezer for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Special Equipment

Blender or food processor, ice cream maker

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
339 Calories
22g Fat
37g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 339
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 14g 69%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 145mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 7mg 37%
Calcium 61mg 5%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 281mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)