Vanilla Ice Cream (27) with Peach Basil Topping (28)

Any time that I eat homemade ice cream, I am immediately transported to all the summers growing up spent with my family, enjoying homemade Butterfinger ice cream on the screened in porch.  To me, homemade ice cream screams summer so when I saw this recipe for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Peach Basil Topping from Pioneer Woman, I knew that I had to give it a try.

For our 4^th wedding anniversary we purchased the ice cream maker attachment for our kitchen aid mixer.  That was the same day we found out we were expecting Blythe so being pregnant made getting an ice cream maker make sense.  This attachment makes making ice cream incredibly easy.  To kick off summer I made this vanilla ice cream.  It is rich and decadent.  Due to a busy schedule, I let our mixture cool for lots of hours. The cream rose to the top of the bowl and I didn’t realize the mixture had separated until half the liquid was on my kitchen counter.  In the future, I know not to let it sit for 12+ hours without stirring it.  Despite my mishap, the ice cream was still considered a success.

I wanted to try the Peach Basil topping simply because it was unique and I’d never had anything like it before.  I used fresh peaches and basil from the local farmer’s market.  The flavor was unusual but I’m not sure that it’s something that I’d be interested in making on a regular basis.  But that’s what this whole experience is about.  I’m glad that I tried something new and I feel like each new challenge gives me confidence to try additional new dishes.

I’d love to know…what’s your favorite homemade ice cream recipe?