A lightened-up vision of a favorite dessert. You won’t believe the texture and flavor of the Ice Milk… and it’s not loaded with sugar!
A summer-refreshing treat!
This hot, humid season inspired a lighter frozen dessert that’s cooling without feeling heavy. It’s lower in fat than traditional ice cream, but still satisfying.
The texture is luscious—slightly icier than full-fat ice cream but with a pleasantly full body. A small addition of coconut cream gives the Ice Milk a creamy bite without becoming heavy or overly rich.
I like keeping Ice Milk simple. It doesn’t try to imitate full-fat ice cream; instead it celebrates its own clean, refreshing character. I use 2 1/2 cups whole milk with 1/2 cup natural coconut cream to create a balanced, creamy base.
Ice Milk: a sweet frozen dessert similar to ice cream but made with less butterfat.
Frozen treat distinctions: Sherbet typically contains less milk fat and more sweetener; sorbet contains no milk fat; frozen yogurt uses nonfat or low-fat dairy.
Peach Melba traditionally features a poached, peeled peach that is sliced, lightly sweetened and served with raspberry sauce. To keep peaches from discoloring, you can place sliced fruit in a simple syrup, or poach briefly, peel and slice them for the parfait.
Make a raspberry sauce by lightly sweetening raspberries and straining out the seeds for a smooth finish. Serve the Ice Milk in a dish, top with the sliced peaches, drizzle the raspberry sauce and add whole raspberries as a garnish. Some versions present halved peaches rather than slices, and some poach the peaches in sugar syrup for extra sweetness. A sprinkle of almond granola adds a delightful crunch.
Historical note: Peach Melba was created by chef Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935) for the opera singer Nellie Melba; Melba Toast was also named in her honor.
Quick method for a home freezer: Pour the blended Ice Milk base into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and freeze until partially set, about 1 hour. Scoop the semi-frozen mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then return to the pan to finish freezing. This gives a smoother texture without an ice cream machine.
Enjoy!
Karen
