Peach and mascarpone gelato

I am a total ice-cream fiend.  As a child, I remember begging Mum and Dad for ice-cream after dinner—even if we were too full to finish all our veggies, my brothers and I always protested that we had plenty of room left for ice-cream as it “slips down the sides”!

Fruity gelato like this one doesn’t require making a custard base, which makes it a really simple way of making a delicious frozen dessert.  As an added bonus, this method also doesn’t require an ice-cream maker (of course if you are lucky enough to have such an appliance, feel free to make the most of it). You can use any fruit—fresh, frozen or canned.  I am looking forward to making a fresh raspberry version once they come into season.

Ingredients

Makes approximately 750ml

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• 250 g peaches, diced and stones removed
• 180 g caster sugar
• 200 ml water
• 100 ml cream
• 100 ml mascarpone
• 1 vanilla pod, split and scraped

Method

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• 1. In a food processor, blend together peaches and caster sugar.
• 2. Add water and continue to process until smooth.
• 3. In a separate bowl, whip cream, mascarpone and scrapings from vanilla bean until thick but not overly aerated. Add peach puree and mix thoroughly.
• 4. If you have an ice cream maker follow manufacturers instructions. If not, pour the mixture into a stainless steel bowl or container with a lid that seals well. Freeze until set – roughly 3 or 4 hours.
• 5. Remove frozen gelato from container, chop roughly into the bowl of food processor and process until smooth. Return to stainless steel container and freeze again. Repeat the chopping/re-freezing process once more, and then serve!