I love vanilla ice cream. It’s kind of boring, but it’s true.
I love Haagen-Dazs. I love Brighams. I love almost everything in between. Give me a Hoodsie cup on a hot afternoon or a dish of plain French vanilla, any brand, in the evening, and I’m a very happy mouse.
Vanilla ice cream is also a wonderful and unexpected dessert to serve at a dinner party—especially when you dress it up a little.
Want to see a group of adults giggling and licking their dessert spoons clean? Serve them a fantastic dinner, then top it off with something that reminds them of running after the ice cream truck when they were little.
Glorious and creamy blank canvas that vanilla ice cream is, sometimes I just spoon a little honey over it. Or sometimes I pull out all the stops with my Peachberry Ice Cream Drizzle, a luscious and juicy sauce with all the elements of a Peach Melba.
Cooking this makes your kitchen smell heavenly. A pinch of fresh, fragrant thyme balances out the fruit’s sweetness without being overpowering. Serve warm over good vanilla ice cream with strong, black coffee.
Peachberry Ice Cream Drizzle
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 Tbls. peach schnapps
2 Tbls. raspberry liquor
2 Tbls. butter
2 1/2 lbs. ripe peaches
4 cups fresh raspberries
First, chunk up the peaches
Peel, pit, and slice the peaches. Set aside in a bowl.
Make a flavored simple syrup
In a large, deep saucepan, whisk together the sugar, water, thyme, peach schnapps, and raspberry liquor over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Simmer the fruit
Add the butter, raspberries, and peaches to the pot. Toss to coat with the sugar syrup. Cover tightly and reduce the heat so your sauce is just simmering.
Keep it at a low bubble for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are totally cooked through and the raspberries have broken down.
Puree it smooth
When the fruit is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held mixer until smooth. (You can also do this carefully in a regular blender, then transfer it back to the pot.)
Reduce your sauce
Simmer uncovered on medium-high heat, whisking, for about 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by almost half and has a nice, thick syrupy consistency. Watch for splatters. The color will be anywhere from a deep raspberry red to a creamy dark pink, depending on the color of your peaches.
Remove from heat.
Strain the sauce
Set a mesh strainer over a bowl. Spoon a few ladles of the sauce into the strainer. Stir and push the sauce through the strainer with a wooden spoon.
Let cool to at least warm before serving.
Serve and enjoy
Serve warm or cold over vanilla ice cream. You can also toss this in the blender with some vanilla ice cream and milk for a Peachberry Milkshake.
Keeps nicely for about a week in the fridge.
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Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse�/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.
