Blueberry/Peach Crumble Ice Cream Pie

Week Eleven

The dog days of summer are upon us, so this seemed like the perfect time for ice cream pie. I know, it’s not National Ice Cream Month, but to heck with it, I’m a rebel, don’t try to stop me.

Unlike the bombe, I wanted to keep the pie to just one or two flavors of ice cream so it would be realistic for me make my own (btw, if you’ve never made your own ice cream: first, feel ashamed; then second, go make some). Perusing food blogs a couple weeks back, I found some amazing pictures of blueberry ice cream and knew I had to work that into a pie.

I’ve loved crumble ever since I conflagrated one early in my baking career. I don’t recommend setting one on fire. It makes your house smell like burnt popcorn and does a number on your oven and the unfortunate red-shirt of a baking dish chosen for the mission. On a related note, did you know that crumble burns slightly blue? It does. It’s very pretty actually, but it’s hard to appreciate its finer aesthetics when you’re panicking over the kitchen fire.

Thankfully, it’s very difficult, even for myself, to light ice cream on fire. Well, at least it’s hard keeping a good flame going. This pie turned out better than I expected. Really intense fruit flavors, and the leftover syrup will be awesome on pancakes. I love food multi-tasking.

Note: Each ice cream recipe makes a generous quart and depending on how filled you want your pie, you will probably have leftover. I’m sure you can think of something to do with it.

BLUEBERRY/PEACH CRUMBLE ICE CREAM PIE

Crushed Shortbread Crust

1 1/2 cups finely crushed shortbread cookies
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt butter and thoroughly combine with crushed cookies and sugar in a medium bowl. Press mixture firmly onto the bottom and sides of a greased 9″ pie pan. Chill the crust for an hour before baking; bake for 10 minutes until the sides are a light golden brown. Chill crust until assembly.

Crumble

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup oats

In a medium bowl mix together flour, sugar and maple syrup. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix in butter until just incorporated. Mix in oats. Chill in refrigerator for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Break dough into “crumble” (bite-sized pieces) and spread on baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on sheet, then place in plastic bag until assembly.

Blueberry Syrup

1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice

Place blueberries in a food processor and pulse until puree’d. Whisk together the blueberries, sugar, corn syrup, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, chill in the refrigerator before using.

Drunken Peach Ice Cream

Adapted from Dessert First, Peach Brown Sugar Ice Cream
16 oz sliced frozen peaches, thawed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp rum or peach schnapps

Special equipment: An ice cream maker or find out how to make ice cream without one.

Place peaches in a food processor and pulse into very small chunks (think extra chunky apple sauce). In a medium saucepan and combine peach puree with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare an a very large bowl filled with ice and set aside. You will use this to cool the ice cream mixture down.

Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming, stirring frequently to prevent scalding. Meanwhile, in a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. Pour the hot milk into the eggs in a steady stream, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture back in the saucepan and place back on stove. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly and coats back of a spoon (about 6-8 minutes, your finger should leave a trail if swiped over the back of the spoon). Do not let the mixture curdle! Unlike pie filling, curdling in and ice cream base means it’s ruined.

Strain mixture into a bowl. Add rum or schnapps. Chill in an ice bath until it reaches room temperature. Stir in the peach mixture and chill mixture in refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.

Freeze in ice cream maker per manufacturer’s instructions.

Spread a layer (about a pint’s worth) into the chilled crust. Immediately place crust and remaining ice cream into freezer.

Blueberry Ice Cream

Adapted from “Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Dessert” cookbook
2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

Special equipment: An ice cream maker or find out how to make ice cream without one.

Place blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until puree’d. Set aside.

Prepare an a very large bowl filled with ice and set aside. You will use this to cool the ice cream mixture down.

Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming, stirring frequently to prevent scalding. Meanwhile, in a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. Pour the hot milk into the eggs in a steady stream, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture back in the saucepan and place back on stove. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly and coats back of a spoon (about 6-8 minutes, your finger should leave a trail if swiped over the back of the spoon). Do not let the mixture curdle! Unlike pie filling, curdling in and ice cream base means it’s ruined.

Remove from heat and stir in blueberry mixture. Strain mixture into a bowl. Chill in an ice bath until cool (about 30 minutes).

Freeze in ice cream maker per manufacturer’s instructions.

Assembly

When the peach ice cream has set some in the freezer (1-2 hours), spread a layer of blueberry syrup on top. Scoop balls of blueberry ice cream onto the top of the pie (you might have to let it thaw a little, homemade ice cream can get quite hard directly out of the freezer). Fill the remaining spaces with crumble. Chill for 2 hours.