Peach Turnovers with Lemon Verbena Ice Cream

As Labor Day approaches and summer comes to an unofficial close, I find myself grasping for things that are distinctly summer-- like out door movies under the late night stars and warm fruit pies with homemade ice cream.  I ‘ve been so busy this summer I haven’t had time to make ice cream.  Since we are all together this long weekend I thought I’d make a batch of my favorite frozen confection.  But in a deliberate attempt to break with tradition, I made turnovers.  Now we are a covered pies family and those pies are blueberry pie and apple pie.  Yes, we might make a coconut custard or lemon meringue pie for Easter but for the most part, we are strictly blueberry or apple with vanilla ice cream.   Set on doing something a little different I made Peach Turnovers with Lemon Verbena Ice Cream.

Peach Filling for Turnovers

2 recipes double-crusted pie dough
6-8 large fresh, firm, ripe peaches (3-4 lbs)
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup Turbinado
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

1 vanilla bean seeds
2 Tbs bourbon or whiskey.  

½ stick melted butter

1 egg beaten, for egg wash

Score, blanch and shock peaches to remove the skin. Cut to medium dice

Place peaches in a bowl add remaining ingredients

Toss until well combined

Roll out dough to make turnovers.

Fill with peach filling

Place turnovers on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper

Brush with egg wash

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until golden brown

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream  

:pastrystudio.blogspot

1 1/4 C fresh lemon verbena leaves
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1/2 C + 1 T sugar
pinch of salt
4 egg yolks

Remove the lemon verbena leaves from the stalk. Place the milk, cream,   1/2 cup sugar and salt in a saucepan on medium low heat, stirring to dissolve. When it begins to simmer, add the lemon verbena leaves and continue on a very low simmer for another minute. Remove from heat, cover and steep for about an hour.

In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks and 1 Tablespoon sugar.

Strain out the lemon verbena from the cream mixture and set aside leaves.  Warm the infused cream.  Slowly add half of the warm cream to the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour that mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium low heat, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook until the custard leaves a clear track on the spatula when you drag your finger across it. Immediately pour the custard into a clean container and stir to cool it down. Taste for salt and add another pinch if necessary. Cool completely and then chill the custard base thoroughly, preferably overnight.

Freeze in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Pour into a clean container, press a piece of plastic wrap into the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Place in your freezer to firm up.