In the summertime, I've got dinner on my mind.

As my faithful blog followers may have learned through the years, I have a few loves in life: my dear family and friends, food, and meticulous planning and organization. Well, that last one may not have explicitly sneaked into my posts, but it's true. Dinner parties appeal to all of the above (and my tips for success still apply).

A few weeks ago, my Boston-based sister and I managed to find a shared night off, and we hosted a midsummer dinner party complete with hand-crafted cocktails, minted watermelon salad, homemade pasta with shrimp, a seasonal dessert, and a few raucous rounds of Cards Against Humanity. It's a little hard to take pictures when there's food on the stove, but we managed to crowd-source a shot of my favorite part, the dessert (who's surprised).

I knew things were going well when my sister texted me this earlier in the day:

...And this is what we made:

(Bourbon-roasted peach ice cream with cinnamon pie-crust crackers and a bourbon-caramel drizzle)

Cue the Mungo Jerry. (Oh, and, it was indeed safe to broil the peaches directly.)

*

Bourbon-Roasted Peach Ice Cream

(Adapted from Alton Brown)

2 c half-and-half

1 c whipping cream

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c peach preserves (not jelly)

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Pinch kosher salt

4 medium peaches

~1 c bourbon

Chop peaches roughly and let soak in bourbon for half an hour or so. Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its seeds), except peaches, in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170*F. Remove from heat and strain into a container. Cool mixture, then cover with plastic wrap (directly on the cream's surface) and refrigerate (ideally overnight) to mellow flavors and texture.

Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit's instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 and reached a soft serve consistency, add the drunken peaches and continue turning to incorporate. Spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

We served scoops of ice cream with my "patented" cinnamon-sugar pie crust crackers and a super-simple bourbon-caramel drizzle.