Peaches & Bourbon

I'm not a huge TV watcher but it seems like lately every time I turn it on ABC, I see the promo for the new series called Motive. There is this cool chic detective who says, in this sing-songy voice, "Nothin' says Friday night like a hom-i-ciiide." [You can hear what I'm talking about here in the opening of this clip after you make it through the 15 second commercial.] I can't get the verbiage or the cadence out of my head. So when I was thinking about this post, all that came to mind was, "Nothin' says sum-mer time like peach ice creeeam." Now it's kind of stuck in my head, so I'm hoping by sharing it with you, it will now be in your head and not mine. 

Seriously, though, summertime does equate to peaches in my book. The peach is my favorite fruit and I get so excited thinking about the prospect of enjoying them all summer long. I feel like summer should kick-off with Memorial Day weekend and am pleased to report that it actually felt like summer had arrived. Finally it was nice and sunny and warm in Santa Barbara....and smokey and ashy because a wild fire started. I was hosting a BBQ, so the raining ash wasn't that conducive for outdoor food and beverages, but made for a beautiful if not eerie sky. 

Anywho......It's no secret that one of my other loves is bourbon. So when I saw a recipe for peach cobbler ice cream with bourbon-caramel sauce, I was like, "Done." I literally planned a whole menu around it. I always liked the concept of homemade ice cream but it requires a lot of time and effort to make (hand crank and large bag of rock salt, need I say more?). This recipe is like the lazy man's version, using just whipped topping and sweetened condensed milk as the ice cream base. You add to it fresh peaches, peach schnapps and baked cinnamon-suagared pie crust. Then you drizzle it with a healthy dose of bourbon-caramel sauce. Ridiculous, I know! I was literally giddy with anticipation. 

I was surprised by how quickly and easily this came together, especially for someone who is adverse to making desserts. I think this is homemade ice cream for dummies, but whatever. I can assure you the output is nothing shy of genius. My only complaint was that I think the caramel sauce was a little thin (even after refrigeration), but perhaps I was too generous with the addition of bourbon? That's highly possible. You can easily whisk in a little cornstarch mixed with water, but honestly, I could just drink it through a straw and be really, really happy. You do need to give the ice cream a few minutes to set out and soften before serving. Otherwise the ice cream has a slightly crystalized texture that feels less creamy. But again, with a little softening, it's perfect. 

In case it's not clear, I am very enthusiastic about this dessert—and this is coming from a non-dessert enthusiast. I am actively campaigning for you to make it—as soon as humanly possible. It is the perfect trifecta of ingredients for ice cream: crunchy pie crust, bourbon (which often has a caramel note), and peaches. 

The only apparent negative: I didn't want to stop eating it. That probably explains why I have done a double workout every day at the gym since Memorial Day. 

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream with Bourbon-Caramel Sauce 

from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Ice cream: 

8 oz refrigerated pie dough 

Cooking spray

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

2 cups peeled peaches (which I forgot to peel), divided (about 4 medium peaches)

1 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk (I couldn't find so used regular)

4 Tbsp peach schnapps

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Generous dash of salt

4 cups frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed

Sauce:

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp light-colored corn syrup

Generous dash of salt

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 Tbsp butter, softened

2 Tbsp bourbon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Place pie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lightly coat with cooking spray. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle mixture evenly over the pie dough. Using a sharp knife, deeply score dough at 1-inch intervals. Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes or until browned. Cool completely and break into 1/2-inch pieces. 

3. Place 1 cup peaches in a medium bowl and mash until almost smooth. Add the remaining cup of chopped peaches and the next 4 ingredients (through dash of salt); stir well. 

4. Gently fold in the crumbled piecrust and whipped topping. Scoop the mixture into a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze overnight or at least 8 hours. 

5. To make the sauce, combine 1 cup sugar, 4 Tbsp water, corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until sugar melts; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until amber, remove from heat. Drizzle in half-and-half, quickly and continuously whisking. Add butter and bourbon and whisk until smooth. Serves 8.