I don’t go out of my way to buy mangoes. I’m never sure about their ripeness and always cut into them too soon. If you’ve ever bitten into an unripe mango, you know that sensation of puckering your mouth around a chemical taste. Native to India, mangoes are common there, and when they’re dead ripe, they’re sweet, perfumy and luscious. Fortunately for me, the ones I used in this peach-mango sorbet had all those characteristics. They were in fact were given to me recently by friends visiting from India, who know a thing or two about choosing mangoes. And luckily, I had an abundance of deliciously ripe Jersey peaches that were also sweet, perfumy and luscious — just perfect for blending with the mangoes in a sorbet. You need an ice cream freezer to make this, something I picked up at a garage sale. And if you’ve still got some wayward pansies blooming from your spring plants, chop them up and scatter them as decorations — or use edible summer blooms like nasturtiums, if available. Otherwise, no one will mind if you serve it plain. It’s a refreshing treat on a hot summer day and has so few calories you can indulge in a few spoonfuls with no guilt.

 If, on the other hand, you’ve been swimming your daily laps and want to indulge in an even more luscious treat, this fresh peach ice cream is about as good as it gets. The recipe uses a little peach brandy — don’t omit it. It not only adds a little more peachy flavor but the alcohol also helps the ice cream retain a creamy texture, rather than transforming itself into a rock hard mass. The limoncello in the sorbet recipe provides the same purpose. Make sure you cut the peaches into small bits, because no one likes biting into large pieces of frozen peaches.

 Now if you want to be really decadent, follow my recipe for stuffed peaches and serve them warm on top of the peach ice cream, with a little of the marsala wine sauce drizzled on top. You’ll want to retreat into a corner and eat this in silent ecstasy. Then you’ll realize it’s worth every calorie — even if you have to swim five extra laps in the morning.

Peach-Mango Sorbet
Printable Recipe Here
2 mangos
about 6 peaches
2 T. sugar
2 T. limoncello

Peel mango and peaches and cut into small pieces, then place into a blender or food processor with the sugar and limoncello. Process until puréed, then place into an ice cream freezer and process according to manufacturer’s directions. optional: serve with minced pansies or other edible flowers.

Peach Ice Cream
Printable Recipe Here
Recipe courtesy of Curtis Aikens, from Foodnetwork.com

2 cups chopped fresh peaches, peeled
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. peach brandy
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 t. vanilla extract
4 egg yolks

Directions

In a bowl combine peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice and peach brandy. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Remove peach mixture from refrigerator and drain juice into a cup. Return peaches to refrigerator.

In a saucepan combine 3/4 cup sugar, heavy cream, milk and vanilla. Bring just to a boil.

In bowl whisk egg yolks. While whisking stream in about 1/3 of the boiled cream mixture. While whisking cream and sugar mixture, stream in egg and cream mixture. Return to the heat and continue to heat while stirring. Mixture will thicken as it returns to a boil. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl set over ice. Add the reserved peach juice.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. After the ice cream begins to stiffen, when very close to done, add the peaches and continue to freeze until done.