Cardamom-Scented Peach Ice Cream

Hey, my local friends!: I will be signing books at Choices Market in South Surrey on Saturday, 11th, at 1pm.  Hope to see you there! 

Every summer I’m anxious for the arrival of fresh, organic peaches.  Often, I’m overzealous and buy them too early – when they are pricey, and lacking that natural juicy sweetness when harvested at the right time.  But, there is that golden window in the summer… when organic peaches are abundant – and affordable!  This is the time to stock up on these glorious stone fruits.  White peaches are my all-time favorite, but you can use any variety of peach (or nectarine) in this recipe.

I first posted a photo for this ice-cream on my facebook page, just a week or two ago.  So, for those of your anxiously waiting (and stocking up on those peaches)… now’s your time to indulge!

Cardamom-Scented Peach Ice Cream gluten-free, soy-free (RECIpage link)

1 cup cubed/sliced peaches or nectarines (see note)

1/2 cup frozen banana, in chunks

1 can coconut milk (regular, not lite)

1/2 cup soaked cashews (or 1/3 cup raw, unsoaked, see note)

3 – 4 tbsp coconut sugar (see note)

1/2 cup plain or vanilla nondairy milk

3 – 4 tbsp pure maple syrup (or agave nectar, see note)

couple pinches powdered stevia (optional, can add more sweetener, see note)

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/4 teaspoon (rounded) guar gum

1/8 tsp ground cardamom (if you love the flavor of cardamom, you can use a little more, up to about 1/4 tsp)

1/8 – 1/4 tsp pure almond extract (optional, but adds lovely light fruity essence)

Add-in (optional) 1/2 – 2/3 cup chopped peaches or nectarines (to add in at end of churning)

In a blender (I use a Blendtec), combine all the ingredients (except reserved 1/2 – 2/3 cup peaches) and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of blender as needed (this may take a few minutes with a standard blender). Transfer the mixture to an ice-cream maker (follow the directions of the specific model, see note below), and churn until the mixture is of soft-serve consistency.  Once ready, add reserved peaches (if using), and let churn through for another minute. Transfer to a container to store in the freezer.

Ice-Cream Maker Note: I am often asked which ice cream maker I use.  I have the KitchenAid ice cream bowl attachment that works with the KitchenAid mixer.  So, if you have a KitchenAid mixer, you can pick up this ice-cream bowl at a fairly reasonable price.  I love this unit.  It doesn’t take up much space (I store it in the freezer!), there are a couple of attachment paddles that are easy to use, and I’ve had my bowl for at least four years and it works beautifully.

Peach Note:  Try to resist adding more peaches in the blended mixture.  As irresistible as they are, adding too many to the blended mix will make your ice cream a little icy rather than creamy.  That’s why I call for adding 1/2 – 2/3 cup of chopped peaches after – to add as chunks to the ice cream if you want that additional peachy flavor.  If you don’t have ripe peaches, mangoes are a fine substitute!

Cashew Note:  I have given the option to use soaked cashews as they will blend more smoothly if you don’t have a high-speed blender.

Sweetener Note:  I typically use about 3 tbsp each of coconut sugar and maple syrup to this blend.  Then, I add a pinch or two of stevia, as the ice cream is not excessively sweet with the amount of sweetener included.  I like keeping the ice cream a lighter creamy color, so I opt for a pinch of stevia to bump up the sweetness.  But, it’s up to you.  You can certainly add the extra maple syrup and coconut sugar – it will darken the ice cream just slightly, but if you aren’t taking photos – no biggie!  Also, the sweetness of your mix will depend on whether you are using vanilla non-dairy milk or plain (vanilla will be sweeter).  So, taste your mix and adjust after blending.  Note that the room-temperature mix will seem sweeter to the taste buds than when the mixture is actually frozen. So you may want to make your blended mixture just a touch sweeter so the final ice-cream product has just the right level of sweetness!

Note: Also try making my Chai Peanut Butter ice cream – it’s getting rave reviews from my readers!

Have you made ice-cream at home before?  What is your favorite?