Gonna Eat A Lot Of Peaches...

I may not be moving to the country, but it's hard to deny that I am eating a lot of peaches this summer nonetheless. With a huge chunk of my freezer dedicated to the frozen fruit, I decided to tap some of my resources to create a frozen dessert that I had recently spotted on one of my favorite food blogs, the Galley Gourmet. Though I was initially attracted to her blog for her cakes, most of her recipes fall into the realm of things that sound good in theory, but would be too labor-intensive for me to seriously consider making. When I saw her recipe for a buttermilk peach sherbet that purportedly captured the flavors of peach pie in frozen form, however, I was intrigued. Not only was it a quick recipe to throw together, I was fresh off of actually baking a peach pie and figured this sherbet would be a good pinch-hitter for the more involved recipe if it panned out.

Without a doubt, this recipe was a cinch to make. With a stockpile of peaches peeled, sliced, and ready to go in the freezer, all I had to do was dump the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. From there, they went into the ice cream maker, since the frozen peaches already had the mixture quite frosty, then into a Tupperware container to freeze until firm. It was quite possibly the easiest peach creation I've attempted all summer.

However, I was slightly disappointed in the finished product. Though I have a seriously fierce addiction to the tart white peach frozen yogurt at Red Mango, the combination of tangy buttermilk and peaches in this sherbet was too much for me. Also, I think it could have used more cinnamon (perhaps a 1/4 teaspoon instead of an 1/8?), but then again, I think basically everything in the dessert would would benefit from a heavier hand with the cinnamon. Plus, I was afflicted in my sherbet effort by the same problem I had with my ill-fated apple sorbet, namely crumbliness.I'm not sure why I keep having this problem -- this sherbet had peach Schnapps in it to keep it from freezing too hard, just like my always-perfect peach sorbet -- so I think I'll stick to my tried-and-true frozen dessert recipes for a while, at least.

Even Dad, perhaps the greatest aficionado of peach desserts in my life, proclaimed it, "not my best work," so I doubt I'll be attempting this recipe again. If you like tangy frozen desserts, however, feel free to give it a try. Just remember to season to taste...

Peach Buttermilk Sherbet

adapted from The Galley Gourmet

2 lb. fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped

2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

2-3 tablespoons peach Schnapps

Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. If peaches are frozen, you may churn right away. If peaches are room temperature, pour the puree into a bowl and refrigerate overnight until well-chilled. Churn in the bowl of a 2-quart ice cream maker, as per manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a airtight storage container and freeze until solid.