Frozen Fruit Whip

End of July. Made peach cobbler and preserves — the annual peach week, farmer's market peaches, the slow transformation of summer fruit into winter comfort. The kitchen smelled like August even though it's July, and the difference between July cobbler and August cobbler is nothing, the difference is calendar, and the cobbler doesn't check the calendar.

Travis's landscaping business is growing. He's hired two more guys — eight employees now. He talked about it at Sunday dinner with the quiet pride of a Hensley man, which means he mentioned it once and didn't elaborate and I had to ask follow-up questions to get the details, because Hensley men don't brag, they state facts and let the facts do the bragging. Eight employees. Commercial contracts. A truck with HENSLEY LANDSCAPING on the door. The name on a truck. My father's name, in a way, on a truck that goes to work every morning, and the name is not underground anymore, the name is driving through Lexington in the sun.

Peach week always leaves a little extra behind — the juice on the cutting board, the fruit that’s just a touch too ripe for the preserves jar but too good to waste. This frozen fruit whip is what I make with that remainder: fast, cold, and honest about what summer tastes like when you slow down long enough to pay attention. It felt right this year, after watching Travis’s name go out into the world on the side of a truck, to make something bright and light — something that doesn’t try too hard, just like he doesn’t, and lands exactly where it should.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes plus 2 hours freezing | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 cups frozen peaches (or mixed stone fruit), partially thawed
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt or sour cream
3 tablespoons honey or sugar, adjusted to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Prep the fruit. Remove frozen fruit from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 10—15 minutes until partially thawed but still very cold and firm.
Blend. Add the partially thawed fruit, yogurt, honey, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt to a food processor or high-powered blender. Pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Do not over-blend or the mixture will become too loose.
Taste and adjust. Taste the whip and add more honey or lemon juice as needed depending on the sweetness of your fruit.
Serve immediately or freeze. For a soft-serve consistency, spoon into bowls and serve right away. For a firmer texture, transfer to a freezer-safe container, smooth the top, and freeze for 1—2 hours before scooping.
Scoop and serve. Remove from freezer 5 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Serve in bowls or waffle cones, plain or topped with a drizzle of honey and fresh mint.

Nutrition (per serving)

Frozen Fruit Whip — The Sweetness You Put Up for Later