PLUM ICE CREAM

Happy stone fruit season, everyone! I realized recently that plum season doesn't last as long as peach season does, and I've definitely been favoriting peaches lately... So I thought I'd fix it by eating lots of plums this week while they're still sweet and beautiful. And, wouldn't you know it, I made some ice cream, too.

This recipe is from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop (but paraphrased...). It has only 5 ingredients (yay). For some reason, I've had better luck getting the perfect ice cream consistency in recipes that don't contain eggs. So generally I skip over recipes that do. Plus, holy cow, this recipe is so simple.

The ice cream was very creamy, indeed. It firmed up very quickly in the freezer but never became super hard. For that reason, I think it would be perfect for ice cream sandwiches... hm... I'll keep you updated! I made the batter the day before and it saved perfectly. 

Now the recipe calls for Kirsch (a liqueur), but I used some vanilla extract instead. Also, a few of my plums weren't very ripe, so I peeled some skin off of those. I also added an extra spoonful of sugar. 

Plum Ice Cream

Adapted slightly from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

1 pound red plums
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (+ a little extra, if your plums aren't too sweet)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or Kirsch cherry liqueur)

Cut the plums into 8ths, removing the pits. Add to saucepan with the water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Cool to room temperature. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract (or Kirsch) and puree. Cover batter and chill in refrigerator. Freeze according to ice cream maker's instructions. Makes 1 quart.