Bourbon Peach Ice Cream with Buttered Pecans

Looking for a Peach Ice Cream Recipe? This One is Special!

Since July 17th is National Peach Ice Cream Day, I bring to you the perfect way to celebrate with a bourbon peach ice cream recipe! Even if you end up celebrating a day or two late, it’s the thought that counts, right?

Because, Bourbon. And, peaches. And buttered, salted pecans. And homemade ice cream. These, my friends, are reasons enough. Need I say more?

And this ice cream recipe is even more delicious than it sounds! How can that be? But, it’s true!

In honor of National Peach Ice Cream Day, Bourbon Peach Ice Cream with Buttered, Salted Pecans

Make Ice Cream with Peach Preserves or Frozen Peaches

I started with a recipe base from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, and added my own riff, in honor National Peach Ice Cream Day. I added frozen peaches (that I chopped into bite sized pieces) and their juices that I’d reduced until the juices were thick, and the peaches were tender.

A wonderful shortcut would be to use a jar of peach preserves: the best you can find. You’ll need about a cup of peach preserves, or chopped peaches in sweetened, thickened reduced syrup.

The only reason I went with frozen peaches was because I had them in my freezer, and needed to use them. Peach preserves would have been easier.

Easy Salted Buttered Pecan Recipe

Then I roasted some salty, buttered pecans. I used 3/4 cup of pecan halves – which I broke into quarters –  and stirred them with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and a half of a teaspoon of salt.

I then placed them on a baking sheet, and roasted them at 350º, for about 10 minutes.  Keep a sharp eye on these, so they don’t burn. what you want is aromatic, crunchy pecans. They will get even crisper as they cool.

Let the pecans come to room temp. You’re going to add these at the end, when you are layering the ice cream and peaches into the container.

Bourbon Peach Ice Cream Recipe

Here’s the recipe for the ice cream itself, which I made in a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. If you have a similar ice cream maker, be sure the canister has been stored in your freezer for at least 24 hours, and is frozen before you begin.

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon corn starch
1 1/2 ounces (3 Tablespoons.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup bourbon

PREP

Mix about 2 Tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.

Whisk the ROOM TEMPERATURE cream cheese with the salt in a medium bowl until smooth. I cannot emphasize enough that you really must whisk this a lot, or you’ll have cream cheese lumps in your ice cream. Not the worst thing in the world, but, whisk the cream cheese more than you think you need to.

Fill a large bowl with ice and water. You’re going to use this to chill the ice cream base before you pour it in your ice cream freezer bowl.

COOK

Combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup in a 4 qt. saucepan.

Be sure your pan is tall enough, because you’ll be bringing the mixture to a rolling boil, and boiling milk can overflow fast!

Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk in the corn starch slurry that you prepared.

Bring the mixture back to a boil, over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring with a heat proof spatula, until slightly thickened. Watch the consistency as you stir. This should take about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

CHILL

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the medium bowl that contains the whisked cream cheese. Whisk until smooth Stir in the bourbon.

CAREFULLY pour the hot mixture into a gallon size ziplock bag. This is the part where I get my husband to help me. One person should hold the bag open, while the other person pours the hot liquid.

If you can figure out how to do this all by yourself, maybe by putting the ziplock back down inside a tall jar or a bowl and folding back the edges so they don’t fall back on themselves, well, then, more power to you. I just prefer to have help, so no one gets burned.

Zip the bag securely shut, and submerge it in your big bowl filled with ice water. Leave it to chill for about 30 minutes. Add more ice as needed.

FREEZE

Pour the ice cream base into the frozen ice cream canister, and spin until thick and creamy. Mine takes about 30 minutes for the ice cream to thicken and begin separating from the sides.

Put about 1/3 of the ice cream into a freezable storage container. Cover that layer with 1/2 of the peaches/peach preserves and 1/2 of the salted pecans.

Add another 1/3 of the ice cream, and cover with the remaining peach preserves and pecans.

Finish with the final layer of ice cream.

Lay a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface of the ice cream, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

PIN THIS RECIPE! This bourbon peach ice cream is a keeper!

You know you want this.

Want more ice cream recipes? Here’s a quick recipe for peach ice cream in a VitaMix!

And check our roundup of twelve great ice cream recipes.