The Sweet Taste of Summer: Peaches and Cream Ice Cream Pops

This post has been sponsored by Oakhurst

Mid-August brings a whole new variety of things to harvest from the garden; or pick up from your local farmers market. The peaches are ripening to juicy perfection, the summer harvest of honey is in full force and all the hues of flowers are turning from pinks and purples to golden yellow and orange. I’ve learned you can’t blink when it comes to my dad’s garden…things are always changing so quickly!

With the ever-changing harvest I’ve always had fun creating recipes to go along with what’s in season. My dad has grown peaches since I was a little girl (yes, it’s crazy that he can grow peaches up here in New England, but he has found a cold hardy variety that does beautifully!) I remember growing up helping pick a basket of peaches and then watching him and my mom prep them for freezing to use in smoothies or milkshakes later in the year. But then 4 years ago we became beekeepers; placing beehives right in the middle of his fruit orchard.  Oh my goodness, with our pollinating friends right there in the field we have never seen so many peaches year after year! He’s gone from a harvest basket full to buckets and baskets overflowing with sweet juicy peaches. 

Whenever there is an abundance of a certain type of produce, I usually get the text from my dad telling me to get busy coming up with recipes so nothing goes to waste. I should insert here that my mom is amazing in the kitchen and everything I know about baking comes from her and my grandma.  But dad knows I love being creative when it comes to recipes. Which is why I was so excited to create these Honey, Peaches + Cream Ice Pops with Oakhurst Dairy Heavy Cream, honey and peaches.  

With only 3 simple ingredients going into these ice pops it is so important to choose quality ingredients. Before becoming beekeepers, we would always use local honey and you can’t beat the freshness of peaches straight out of the garden or grown local and available at a farmer’s market/stand. But when it comes to dairy and specifically heavy cream, I’ve always reached for Oakhurst Dairy. I try to use local whenever I can and since Oakhurst is from Maine (our neighbor) that is definitely considered local here in New England. 

If you remember back in my last recipe with Oakhurst Heavy Cream (Mixed Berry Trifle), I used maple syrup to sweeten my homemade whipped cream. While maple syrup is definitely my go-to sweetener, I didn’t want to combine too many flavors in my Peaches and Cream Pops.  So I wondered what would happen if I used honey…and oh my word it is amazing! Like how have I never thought of this before! I’ve not told my dad about this great idea yet, but I know he is going to be so excited when I do (after all, it’s his honey!)

This recipe calls for roasting the peaches; an idea I got from one of my favorite peach ice cream recipes.  Drizzling the peaches with honey and roasting them brings out such a sweet, rich, peachy flavor. You could absolutely soften the peaches on the stove if you didn’t want to heat the whole oven. But promise me at least once you’ll give roasting peaches a try. 

Oakhurst Dairy is all about The Natural Goodness of Maine. They are 100% farmer owned right there in Maine and are committed to providing fresh, quality and local dairy.  But more than that they are committed to families and support organizations that promote healthy active kids. I’m all about that. So as summer winds down and the start of school rounds the corner, I want to keep creating special summer moments until the very end and this delicious recipe continues to deliver the sweet taste of summer for my family. 

Print

Honey, Peaches + Cream Ice Pops

Servings 4 ice pops

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe peaches - peeled and sliced
• 4 TBSP honey
• ½ cup Oakhurst Heavy Cream
• Optional: ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400*.  Place your peeled and sliced peaches in a glass baking dish and drizzle with 2 TBSP honey. Roast for 20 minutes until soft, juicy, and just ever so brown along the edges of your dish. Let cool slightly and puree...I like to use the personal blender I use for making smoothings, but an immersion or regular blender works great too! Let your pureed peaches cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, with a handheld mixer beat your heavy cream until whipped. Sweeten with your additional 2 TBSP honey and flavor with ½ tsp of vanilla if desired.  Fold in your cooled peach puree.
3. Pour into your popsicle mold.  I love using silicone molds but good old paper cups with popsicle sticks will do the trick too! Freeze overnight until firm.  So good!