Brown Sugar Nectarine Ice Cream

By savorysaltysweet • August 23, 2012 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: Nectarines are a perfect companion for brown sugar. Joined together, they bring out all the right notes in one another and, with a squeeze of lime added for a bit of brightness, they combine to form the very embodiment of a special summer ice cream. - savorysaltysweet

Makes roughly 1 quart

1 1/4 pound pitted, diced nectarines (about 3 large)
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine nectarines and water. Bring to a boil, cover, then allow to simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the nectarines have broken down and released a great deal of their juices. Set aside to cool
While the nectarines are cooking, combine brown sugar, egg yolks, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine, then heat mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and reaches a temperature of around 170 degrees F. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon, leaving a clean trail when swiped with a finger. Remove from heat, whisk in milk, then place in the refrigerator to cool.
When both mixtures have cooled, combine them in a blender or food processor and blend on high speed until completely smooth and combined. Stir in lime juice and vanilla, then refrigerate until complete cooled, about 2 hours. Alternately, if you don’t want to wait, you can place the nectarine custard mixture in a thin, nonreactive metal bowl, place the metal bowl in larger bowl filled with mostly ice with a bit of water, and stir the mixture as the metal bowl rests in its ice bath. After about 10-15 minutes of careful stirring (being careful not to tip the custard bowl over into the ice water), the mixture will become quite cold.
Freeze mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.