Best-in-the-West Peach Milkshake

Strawberry Pistachio Semifreddo

½ C, Unsalted & shelled pistachios

8 ounces strawberries, hulled {about 2 cups}

½ C. plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 Egg yolks [at room temperature}

1 ½ C. cold Heavy Cream

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Line a 5x9 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.  Pulse pistachios in a food processor until coarsely chopped.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Place strawberries and 3 tablespoons sugar in  processor, puree until smooth & transfer to a fine sieve set over a bowl.  Stir puree, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible, discard solid remains.

Combine egg yolks & remaining ½ cup sugar in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Beat on high speed until pale yellow and tripled in volume, about 3 minutes.  Transfer bowl to a larger bowl of ice water; stir until mixture is very thing & cool, about 3 minutes.

Beat together cream & vanilla in a large bowl until soft peaks form.  Whish 1/3 of whipped cream into egg mixture, whisking until smooth, then fold into remaining cream with a rubber spatula just until thoroughly incorporated.

Pour ½ of cream mixture into strawberry puree.  Gently fold together until thoroughly incorporated, then pour into loaf pan and smooth top.  Fold pistachios into remaining cream mixture and pour evenly over strawberry cream, smooth top.  Fold plastic wrap over surface and freeze at least 12 hours & up to 3 days. 

To serve, peel plastic from surface. Invert pan onto a cutting board.  Unmold semifreddo, remove plastic and cut crosswise into ¾ inch thick slices. 

Fresh Fruit Ice Cream

3 cups mashed fruit                                                                                 1 pt. whipping cream

3 cups sugar                                                                                                 1 can-sweetened condensed milk

juice of lemon                                                                                              1 qt. milk              

juice of orange

Mix fruit, sugar, and juices together in large bowl.  Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours (if no time, it is okay).  Add cream, milk, and sweetened condensed milk and stir well.  Pour into ice cream maker and freeze (alternate rock salt and ice cubes while it spins, usually takes about 30 minutes), Serves in cups or cones.  A family favorite!

Note:  Some of the best flavors are: Strawberry, strawberry-banana, raspberry and peach.  For peach, add a tiny bit of almond extract as well.  

Basil Ice Cream

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup basil leaves
• ½ cup sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• ½ cup well-chilled heavy cream 

Heat milk, basil and ¼ cup sugar, with a pinch of salt, in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour the mixture through a strainer to remove the basil leaves.

With a hand-held mixer, beat the yolks and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a bowl until thick and pale (about 1 minute). Add the milk mixture in a slow stream and beat until combined. Pour mixture into a clean saucepan and cook over moderate heat. Be sure to stir constantly. The mixture will begin to thicken and is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon – this will take around 6 minutes of stirring. Do not let the mixture come to a boil.

Remove from the heat and poor in to a small bowl. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir until cold, around 12 minutes. (I recommend making the ice bath before you cook the custard over the stove – the custard will cook quickly and, if you don’t cool it down immediately, you risk curdling the mixture).

Stir in the cream and freeze in the ice cream maker. Once frozen, place the ice cream in an airtight container and put in the freezer to harden for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!