Cinnamon Ice Cream with Brûléed Peaches
Cinnamon ice cream is a very favorite of mine. I love the juxtaposition of sweet, cold custard against the warming spiciness of cinnamon. The ice cream is absolutely delicious all on it’s own, or it pairs beautifully with sweet ripe fruit and so many varieties of pie. Here' I’ve given fresh peaches a generous sprinkling of turbinado sugar and a kiss of flame for a warm, caramelized accompaniment to the ice cream. And while brûléed peaches are elegant and even a bit fancy, they are very, very easy to pull off. Together this is an ideal dessert for entertaining friends: all the work can be done in advance; the final touch is fiery and impressive; and really I can’t imagine a more satisfying way to end a summer meal.
Overall this is a simple recipe, but you do need some special equipment. An ice cream churner is essential, even if it’s just a cheap old thing like mine. You also want a flame torch for best results (although you can try using your broiler in a pinch). Additionally, the key to ice cream is always temperature control. You do not want to scramble your eggs for a chunky mess. To achieve a nice, smooth custard be sure to patiently temper your egg yolks, and cook the custard over a low heat with constant stirring. This method will take you 5-10 minutes of stirring, but the creamy end result is well worth the patient effort!
Cinnamon Ice Cream - Makes 1 pint
Equipment:
Ice cream maker
Fine mesh sieve
Saucepan
Whisk
Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I love Penzey’s Cinnamon)
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
6 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Brûléed peaches, cinnamon sticks, and fresh mint for garnish
Method:
In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until the sugar begins to dissolve and the mixture becomes slightly thickened and pale yellow. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, cream, and cinnamon over medium heat until just before boiling. You should see steam but no bubbles. As it’s heating, whisk to smooth out some of the clumps of cinnamon. Remove from the heat.
Temper the eggs. While whisking continuously, slowly drizzle about 1/4 cup of hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk until the cream is fully incorporated, and then continue adding cream in 1/4 cup portions, continuously whisking, until about half of the cream has been added. Then, again continuously whisking, slowly pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the remaining cream. Return the pan to medium low heat. Continue to stir constantly, and cook until the custard has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks like melted ice cream. Be careful never to bring the mixture to a boil.
Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add the vanilla extract, stir, and place the bowl in an ice bath, and allow it to cool.
Once the custard is room temperature, cover the bowl, and chill it in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Once the custard is cold, freeze it in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container, and store it in the freezer until ready to eat. I recommend freezing for several hours before eating. Serve adorned with brûléed peaches, cinnamon sticks, and fresh mint sprigs.
Brûléed Peaches - Makes 4 peach halves
Equipment:
Flame torch
Fry pan or baking sheet
Ingredients:
2 ripe but firm peaches, halved and deseeded
Turbinado sugar
Method:
Generously sprinkle turbinado sugar over each of the peach halves.
Place the peaches in the pan and turn the flame torch onto low heat. Gently caramelize the sugar to your desired doneness. Serve warm on top of cinnamon ice cream.
