Just Picked: Celebrate summer’s end with nectarine ice cream

Make the most of end-of-season nectarines with this mildly sweet Brown Sugar Nectarine Ice Cream.

Both ice cream – cold, creamy, essential to surviving sweltering days and nights – and nectarines – bright, sweet, juicy – are quintessential symbols of summertime.

There are only a couple more weeks to celebrate summer’s end – or lament the loss of the season. So, might as well make the most of it.

Smooth-skinned nectarines aren’t as musky as their fuzzy sisters. Peaches are nearly the same genetically and would work in this recipe, too. Both come in white or yellow varieties, feature rich but light fruity flesh, and can be freestone or clingstone.

I used yellow, freestone nectarines in this recipe and pushed the pureed, cooked fruit through a fine mesh sieve for good measure.

Lime brings out the brightness of the stone fruit. (Lemon would work, too.) And brown sugar, with its kiss of molasses, adds more depth to the frozen dessert than white sugar would, rounding out the summery treat.

Brown Sugar Nectarine Ice Cream

From Food52.com

1 1/4 pounds nectarines, pitted and diced (about 3 large)

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

Juice of 1/2 a lime

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. 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 smooth. Stir in lime juice and vanilla, then refrigerate until completely 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, the mixture will become quite cold.

Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

Yield: about 1 quart

Philadelphia-style Vanilla Ice Cream

From foodchannel.com

Adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Mastering Series “Frozen Desserts” by Melanie Barnard (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

Don’t want to bother with the custard base? Swap it out for this easier, egg-free version.

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, stir together the cream and milk. Add the sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Test for graininess by tasting a small amount of the liquid; it should feel smooth on the tongue and there should be no sugar visible on the bottom of the bowl when it is stirred or spooned out. Continue whisking, if necessary, to ensure that the texture of the finished ice cream will be smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Chill the ice cream mixture: Fill a large bowl halfway with ice cubes and enough cold water just to cover the ice cubes. Place the bowl with the cream mixture into the larger bowl and let cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the bowl with the cream mixture and place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and on top of the bowl. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Remove the plastic wrap from the cream mixture and bowl. Pour the well-chilled cream mixture into the mixing container of the ice cream maker with at least a 1-quart capacity and churn and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: Even though it seems that the ice cream will be richer, do not attempt to make it with heavy cream alone. The higher percentage of butterfat in the cream tends to solidify, causing a flaky or grainy texture. Philadelphia-style ice cream tends to become grainy more quickly and is best eaten within a day or two of churning.

Yield: about 1 quart

Nectarine Sorbet

From thekitchn.com

Don’t do dairy, or just want a lighter frozen confection? Try this fruit-forward sorbet.

2 pounds (about 4 large) nectarines, skinned pitted

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons rum

Prepare an ice bath. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 1 cup water; bring to a boil then lower heat to medium and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the syrup to a small metal mixing bowl set over an ice bath. Stir occasionally until cooled to room temperature.

Slice the nectarines into chunks and place in a food processor with the syrup, lemon juice and rum. Process until smooth.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Yield: about 1 quart