A “milestone birthday” celebration in May for my friend, Ginger, found us in the Dordogne region of southwest France. This rustic, and fertile river valley deserves its reputation as the soul of French cuisine. The region’s gastronomic treasures include truffles, walnuts, goat cheeses and all manner of duck delights.
In addition to taking in our share of castles and prehistoric caves, we visited local farmers’ markets and ate our way through memorable meals from the most humble menus to Michelin-starred affairs. All very satisfying! 
Now it’s getting hot out there, and many of us dread the thought of firing up the oven. I get it. This recipe is a no-cook, no-fuss option that’s brimming with fresh, seasonal peaches. It’s satisfying without being cloyingly sweet or rich. As a matter of fact it’s mostly peaches, frozen and whizzed up with a dollop of crème fraîche and a bit of sugar to taste. Three ingredients. Done.
I’ve been making a version of frozen fruit ice creams and sorbets for a while. It was an easy adaptation from making a too-thick fruit smoothie just once, and preferring the semi-frozen texture over a slushy one. Improve the texture, add a bit of sweetness and voilà – dessert!
Imagine my delight whilst enjoying a day-long market tour and cooking class at Le Chevrefeuille Cookery School in St. Cyprien, France; when Chef Ian Fisk included a banana ice cream recipe using the same technique. (He uses a commercial-strength food processor.) His unique twist uses crème fraîche (we were in France after all), and of course he also amps up the flavor by including vanilla beans. He’s “chef-y” that way, and will tell you so himself, with a wink and a grin.
Side note: Ian and Sara Fisk live here with their family. It is charming and I highly recommend staying here as your base when traveling in the area. Sara Fisk’s deft hand with accommodations assures your comfort; and your meals taken there will be fantastic!
A few suggestions:
- Prepare in advance by cutting and freezing the fruit.
- Substitute any fruit that is not too watery; nectarines, firm berries, mango, bananas, etc. Or mix and match!
- Fold in small pieces of a complimentary fruit, nuts or chocolate bits after the ice cream is blended. Example: raspberries into peach, chocolate into banana.
- Boost the flavor by adding mint, basil, grated citrus zests; or vanilla bean as does Chef Ian.
- Use caution when stirring down the fruit in the blender or food processor! Use an appropriate tool such as a tamper or suitable spatula.
Peach “Ice Crème” – Blender Easy
Adapted from Ian Fisk’s Version
Makes about 4 cups
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups peaches; peeled, pitted, sliced into 1/ 4” wedges and frozen
- 1/ 2 cup crème fraîche
- 2 -3 tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove frozen peaches from the freezer and place into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to soften them slightly.
- Break them apart and put half of the still frozen, but slightly softened, peaches into the blender or food processor. Add half of the crème fraîche and 1 tablespoon of the powdered sugar. Whizzzzz until it begins to emulsify, looks a bit creamy and the fruit easily moves about the bowl.
- Add the remaining frozen peaches and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. Whizzzzz again until it is all creamy and the consistency of ice cream. Taste for sweetness and add sugar as needed.
- At this point the texture will be soft and creamy. It is excellent at this stage (actually my favorite), as you will discover when tasting for sweetness! This is also the stage when I scoop it to make ice cream sandwiches. It may be served immediately, or if preparing in advance, transfer the ice cream to a storage bowl and store in freezer.
- Remove it from the freezer about an hour before serving and place it in the refrigerator for easier scooping and softer texture. (Remember, it’s mostly peaches, so it will freeze quite hard.)
