This post is sponsored by Horizon Organic. Thanks for supporting companies I believe in and allows me to create more unique content for you and enjoy my Peach Ice Cream with Brown Butter Pecans.
I don’t know that I’ve ever been called “thin-skinned.” I can pretty much take the punches and roll with them. Sure, once in a while you’ll see me in a mess of tears but usually it’s after watching an episode of Parenthood rather than rebounding from an insult or feeling bad about being left out.
But thin-skinned can be a good thing too. Like when the nurse is on the hunt to find that elusive vein to poke a needle into or possessing the empathy for others in the same emotional predicament—like when those poor Bachelorettes are dismayed to discover the Bachelor has chosen someone else to be the love of their lives.
I guess I’m just thick-skinned. Maybe it’s because I come from strong stock? Okay, maybe it’s not strong stock (although I do have those characteristic German genes), but I do know it’s taller stock, that’s for sure. My mom and dad are both tall, my sister is tall and our cousins are tall.
I married a hunk-a-tall, dreamboat manly-man—admittedly he’s no Marlboro man out on the range, but he’s got it all going on in my book—and we made what we knew would be a tall daughter. There was no escaping it for her.
So when Smudge was small and we met new parents who smuggly bragged about their child being in the 90th percentile on the growth chart we would just nod and say that’s great. We didn’t expand much from there because Smudge was generally in the 100 percentile on the growth chart. With no hair until she was about 2 years old. Which is why “her” favorite color was pink in order to avoid being called “such a sweet little boy” who looked to be solidly in the 90th percentile.
From the time she was a Little, I knew organic and hormone-free foods were going to play a large part in her diet, at least while I could control it. And while she was young—aka I made the decisions for her—I hatched a plan to take control of what went into her little rosebud mouth, and hormone-injected and overtly pesticide-sprayed thin-skinned foods were not part of the game.
From milk to yogurt to chicken to thin-skinned veggies and fruits, my husband and I ponied up the extra few cents to contribute to our daughter’s growth not booming to the 110 percentile as a young child and young adult. I did not want her going through the trite things other kids might ask her like, “how’s the air up there?” or “are you wearing boats or shoes?” or feeling bad about being taller than all of the 9th grade boys when she is in 6th grade. Which will probably be unavoidable, since I had all of those same things pinned to me as a tween. Hmmm, thick-skinned. Good thing I was, right?
Our Smudge already has the growth genes, why should we throw anything that isn’t natural at her strong, confident and healthy body? Organic is always my choice when I have one and milk is the number one staple on the grocery list that we always buy organic and hormone-free. Am I a purist about buying organic? No. But I do what I can, when I can.
Which leads to my round-about tie-in to thin skin vs. hard skin exemplified in this video. Now that my girl is making her own decisions about what she eats, I think it’s important for her to learn about what happens to her food, where it comes from. This video is an easy way to introduce the idea of the benefits of organic foods to kids, in a really fun, not preachy way.
Smudge thought the video was super cute, and it shares a simple message in a way any kid can understand: thinner skin on the fruits and veggies = better to be organic. Bananas and oranges or anything with a hard skin? I buy regular. Capiche?
I spent last week in Houston with my sister and her family, and the week went exactly as I’d dreamed. With my sister and her husband at work, I plopped myself down in front of the computer and worked along as the girls hopped in and out of the pool all week long.
In between fixing lunch, snacks and slathering on sunscreen, my nieces took a fancy to the behind the scenes of what I do on this bloggity blog and asked if they could cook something we could blog about.
Oh my yes! Bring on the junior tier of FoodieCrushers! Let’s get t-shirts made and Instagram usernames secured. Check and check.
What was my Smudge and her cousin’s choice to add to the menu? With 90+-degree temps and 50% humidity, there were clearly two choices: ice cream or popsicles. Ice cream won out thanks to the abundance of super juicy, fresh organic (remember? Thin skins?) Texas peaches.
Making and photographing ice cream in Texas in the summertime poses its challenges, but we had a blast doing it. The girls elicited the help of their team of sous chefs in the form of their Beanie Ballz FuzzyPants, Pie and Glitter the unicorn, and were more than happy to share the bounty of their scoops, and drips, with them too.
Peach and Brown Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 5-6 medium peaches pitted and halved or quartered
- 4 tablespoons Horizon Organics unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ cups Horizon Organics whipping cream
- 1 ½ cups Horizon Organics whole milk
- 5 large egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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In a deep sided frying pan, mix ½ cup sugar into the water and bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook for one minute. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the peach halves or quarters, cut side down, to the sugar mixture and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook the peaches for another 5 minutes or until the fruit softens and the skins loosen. Remove from the heat and let cool then remove the skins from the peaches.
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Blend the peaches and the sugar water in a blender or food processor until smooth and set aside.
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Melt the butter in a small frypan over medium high heat. Add the chopped pecans and stir until they’re toasted and the butter begins to golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the nuts and brown butter to a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and cool to room temperature and set aside.
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Combine the cream and the milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and stir occasionally until the mixture comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes. In a medium size heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and vanilla until the mixture doubles in volume, about 2 minutes. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and whisking constantly, slowly pour ½ cup of the warm cream into the egg and whisk until smooth. Pour the cream and egg mixture into the saucepan with the warm cream and milk mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it becomes a custard like texture that sticks to the back of a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Do not let it boil.
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Set up an ice bath in a large bowl and place a smaller bowl inside then pour the custard into the small bowl with the reserved peach mixture. Stir until the mixture cools then remove the bowl from the ice bath, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
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Pour the cold custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to it’s instructions. Add the brown-butter pecans ¼ cup at a time during the last 5 minutes of churning. Spoon the ice cream into a chilled freezer safe container and place plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on the surface so ice crystals don’t form. Cover and freeze at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
adapted from Sweet Scoops by Shelly Kaldunski
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Charul @ Tadka Masala says
Loved the pics.. Your nieces are plain adorable! :)
heidi says
Oh thank you! My daughter and her cousins have waaay too much fun together. When they’re together I don’t even see my daughter.
Elvira says
You can touch with hand the natural empathy amongst these girls just looking at the pictures. A house full of girls and icecream is a perfect combo!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
What a gorgeous post and pics and storytelling and hello….browned butter. In ice cream. Come to mama! :)
heidi says
Brown butter makes everything better ;)) Thanks Averie!
Cookin' Canuck says
What fantastic photos of Smudge and her friends. I’ll bet they were pretty happy to be part of this ice cream experience! Smudge is lucky to have parents dedicated to feeding her healthy foods and celebrating her lovely personality (and her height!)
Tieghan says
This looks amazing. I actually just churned a batch of ice cream with pecans in it yesterday. Photos are today, let’s hope they turn out as cute as yours!
Julia says
1. She’s gorgeous!
2. This ice cream. Need. NOW.
Deborah says
Love this ice cream, and love everything about this. There is little I love more than a child with their cousins!
Gerry @ foodness gracious says
Great post and such fun pics, always an experience when I ask my kids for help in a post :) My peach tree is groaning with fruit so this is on my list…in my head…somewhere.
heidi says
Thanks Gerry, the fun part was them incorporating their stuffed animals. We had a few handi wipe incidents to clean up the fuzzy sous chefs.
ashley - baker by nature says
What gorgeous girls!!! And this ice cream looks out-of-this world, love! I want a cone NOW!
Cecile Hamel-Roy says
The girls are simply adorable!! It was great fun to read this post and – as always – thanks for posting a wonderful recipe. Pinning it – another “as always” !
heidi says
Hi Cecile, thank you so much for such a sweet comment! That means so much since I’m somewhat partial to my cute models in the photos. Have a great day!
Annalise @ Completely Delicious says
You are speaking my ice cream language.
heidi says
I almost called you to get some tips, and I am not kidding!
Megan {Country Cleaver} says
Those kids are too cute for words – I just love those happy ice cream faces.
tanya1234 says
looks yummy
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
Brown butter anything is great! Missed meeting you at Blogher Food.
Jen @ Savory Simple says
First of all, this ice cream? OMG. Second, I just love the photo. What a great post.
Maria says
Love the ice cream but I love the photos even more! The girls are too adorable for words!
Paula - bell'alimento says
This is right up my Southern alley!
Mother Omega says
Perfection …..the girls are perfection.
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
I love getting the kidlets involved in making delicious food. :) Great post Heidi!
Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen says
Smudge and her cousins are so adorable! And how exciting that they were into cooking & blogging….love it! Also, madly in love with this ice cream!!
nessa says
This looks delicious! So creamy :)
Nikki says
I am looking for a new peach ice cream recipe. This may be the one! I’m allergic to pecans, big time, but I’m always down for some brown butter.
Bev @ Bev Cooks says
A.DORE. this post. Now I want peaches. And ice cream.
Kathryn says
This ice cream looks totally amazing and it looks like your helpers all agree!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love peaches and brown butter, fab ice cream flavor!
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
The ice cream looks beyond delicious and what a well-written post, Heidi. Hard to do that with sponsored content sometimes, you made it seamless.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
Love the pictures, love the story and man, the ice cream sounds amazing!
Cathy Pollak ~ Noble Pig says
Sounds amazing and what a beautiful girl. I say lucky her to be tall! I always feel if I could just grow like 3 or 4 inches I’d be super skinny! He-he.
Have a great and looking forward to meeting you in potato country next week!
[email protected] pineapple and coconut says
Looks like the cousins had a great time visiting, and I am sure you totally scored points for making homemade ice cream with the kiddos too. I am adding this recipe to my list, we make homemade ice cream all the time!
Izy says
omggg, I love brown butter ice cream SO MUCH :) Putting peaches and pecans in it too is just..woah!
Donna says
Smudge is lucky to have YOU as a mom!
Denise [email protected] Brazil To You says
Heidi: This is my first time visiting your blog. The photos are enchanting and the combination of flavors in this ice cream is simply mouth-watering. Great post and beautiful blog!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
Cheers to tall kiddos!! A is always in the 95% for everything. :) I want three scoops please!!
Kristy @ Sweet Treats & More says
I just photographed some ice cream today and I’m wishing I could have made it looks as gorgeous! Maybe I needed some cute sous chefs! Looks delicious!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This ice cream is so lovely!!
Cassie | Bake Your Day says
It looks like you guys had a blast…what a bunch of cuties! And this ice cream…I can almost taste it!
natalie @ wee eats says
Horizon is legit delicious. True story. And this ice cream looks AMAZING, would be perfect served alongside some warm cobbler…
Aggie says
Love this post for so many reasons!! You’ve inspired me to break out the ice cream maker with the kids!
Kristina says
such a fun read, Heidi, and cheers to Tall Girls! :)
this ice cream sounds dreamy…
patti says
My loves, my doves and ice cream too. It doesn’t get any better. What a delicious treat. Great post
Heidi.
[email protected] is How I Cook says
What a perfect day! And in Houston hopping in and out of the pool is definitely the way to go! And then making ice cream-my kids would have been in 7th heaven!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
What a great flavor for a light, summery ice cream! This looks incredible, Heidi.
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
that ice cream looks so perfect for these hot summer days! Smudge and her cousin’s did a wonderful job!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Beautiful post. I jumped on organic, hormone-free milk when my daughter was a baby due to the findings about accelerated hormonal affects on girls. I just feel best eating organic!
Holly says
Love this post- gorgeous ice cream and precious girls- what could be better?
[email protected] in Dresden says
adorable pictures!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
Too stinking cute! I just want to make ice cream with my niece and nephews now!
Yii-Huei says
I love the pictures! The ice cream looks delicious :)
Josies Yogurt says
Pleasure to find your blog and to have know about this delicious and creamy Ice cream Recipe. My mouth is watering now. Can i have a dish of it!!!. Love to eat. Many thanks for sharing.