Support the site — ☕ Buy me a coffee
Vanilla Ice Cream with Basil-Peach Topping
After three failed batches where the ice cream turned grainy as sand, I learned to chill my custard completely before churning—it's what keeps the texture silky instead of icy. The basil-peach topping became a permanent fixture in my kitchen after my husband started asking for it specifically, saying the herbal brightness balances the rich vanilla.
Ingredients
Method
- Make the custard: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream and milk with half of the sugar (about 6 tablespoons), salt, and vanilla bean seeds plus pod. Heat until small bubbles form around the edges—do not boil—and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes to infuse flavors, then discard the pod.
- Temper the yolks: In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with the remaining sugar (about 3 tablespoons) until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Slowly ladle in 1 cup of the warm cream mixture while whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Pour this tempered mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the custard, returning it to medium-low heat.
- Cook to proper temperature: Stir continuously with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and reaches 170°F on an instant-read thermometer—about 5-7 minutes. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat immediately and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
- Chill completely: Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard (this prevents a skin from forming) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The colder your base is when you start churning, the smoother your ice cream will be.
- Prepare the topping while the custard chills: Slice the peaches into thin wedges and toss them with sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a medium bowl. Let macerate for 20 minutes to draw out juices, then fold in the chopped basil. The mixture should look glistening and fragrant.
- Churn the ice cream: Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions and churn until it reaches soft-serve consistency—about 20-25 minutes for a standard machine. The ice cream will be quite soft when you remove it; this is normal.
- Harden before serving: Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight so it firms up enough to scoop easily. The basil-peach topping can sit on top of the ice cream in its own small bowl, or you can fold half into the churned ice cream just before transferring to your storage container.
Nutrition
Notes
I make this any time summer peaches are at their peak and I want to use them before they go soft on the counter. The trick is macerating the sliced peaches with a bit of sugar while you're prepping everything else; it draws out juices that get folded into the ice cream so every bite tastes like peach without needing extra effort.
![](https://haleyskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/haleys-book-transp.png"){kind=spacer}
