Peach Cobbler Ice Cream Cake

I know it's 30 degrees outside and ice cream is probably the last thing on our minds, but I just had to post one of my all-time favorite recipes! After Mike and I got married, I was honestly terrified of having to cook for him and make him happy at dinnertime! I purchased my first Food Network Magazine, and this recipe was in there. I told him to pick out a recipe for me to try and he chose this one. I had never worked with ice cream in a cake-like context, and his family is very particular about where they purchase and how they eat peaches. But really...no pressure! Ahh!

This recipe takes about 2 days to make with freezing times, but I assure you, it is worth every dollar and every second spent to make this masterpiece. The recipe calls for fresh peaches, but I'm sure you could try using canned peaches, especially in the wintertime. Hopefully this will give you sunny thoughts!!

Total Time: 10 hours, 15 minutes
Active: 45 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Freeze: 8 hours, 45 minutes

Step 1: Read through everything first before making this! Like I said above, there is a lot of freezer time needed, so make sure you know what you're doing before you start.

Ingredients:

Peach Mixture:

• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 peaches (I used freestone), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Crunch Mixture:

• 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs (I buy the box of crumbs, but you can also use 9 graham crackers to equal this amount)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup pecan chips (or crush whole pecans)
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cake Assembly:

• 4 pints vanilla ice cream
• Cooking spray
• 2  10-to-12 ounce pound cakes (store-bought, or feel free to make your own!)

Whipped Cream:

• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 3 Tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Stir 1 1/4 cups sugar, lemon juice, and peaches in a large pot. Let sit 15 minutes. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to low and cook until peaches are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove 3/4 cup of peaches using a slotted spoon, refrigerate and reserve for the topping.
2. Puree the remaining peaches and juice in a blender (or use an immersion blender!); transfer to a separate bowl and freeze until very thick, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil. In a medium-sized bowl, toss graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar, pecans, and butter. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, and spread into a thin layer. Bake 7 minutes, then stir and bake for another 6-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool and harden, then crumbles into pieces.
4. Assemble the cake:  Let 2 pints of ice cream soften until spreadable, about 10 minutes. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, and line the bottom and sides of the pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Spread the softened ice cream evenly in the pan, and top with an even layer of the peach puree. Freeze until the puree is firm, about 45 minutes.
5. Let the remaining 2 pints of ice cream soften, and spread across the puree. Sprinkle with a good 1 cup of pecan crunch mix, and press it into the ice cream. Cut the pound cakes lengthwise into 1 1/2 inch thick slice. Lay on top of the pecans in the pan. Trim the cakes as needed to fill in every spot.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. For the whipped cream, beat the heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla in a bowl with the mixer on medium speed until soft-to-stiff peaks form. (You don't want to overbeat the whipped cream, but it definitely needs to hold its shape)
8. Uncover the cake and invert onto a plate. Remove the springform ring and the remaining plastic wrap. Cover the top and sides with whipped cream. Top with the reserved peaches and as many pecan crumbs as you would like! Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Source:  Food Network