Pumpkin Ice Cream

I’m one of those people who’d never turn down ice cream, not even in a blizzard.  Still, as the weather turns colder I do get a bit less ambitious when it comes to making it.  Right now feels like the best of both worlds; the days are still warm and sunny, leaves are turning, and pumpkins are everywhere.  If, like me, you’re not quite ready to bid farewell to summer’s favorite dessert, here’s a delicious way to ease the transition into Pumpkin Pie season.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

 

 

This recipe (like almost all my ice cream recipes) uses whole eggs; I prefer using three eggs to the hassle of separating a half-dozen eggs, then figuring out how to use all those whites before they go bad.  I’ve found that being attentive with a whisk keeps the mixture nice and smooth—it will have a slight texture before you add the cream, but once it’s all blended together and frozen, it will be smooth and creamy.  I’ve no shortage of taste-testers who will happily corroborate this.

Careful whisking makes for a smooth custard.

There are lots of options for freezing homemade ice cream, from hand-cranked pint containers that fit right in the freezer to the high end expensive ones that provide their own chill.  My choice is a 4-quart electric countertop model that requires ice and salt, but does the churning for you.  I stock up on rock salt in the winter when it’s available reasonably in nice, large bags (instead of the small, expensive bags sold with ice cream makers in the summer).

Cleaning the dasher is a (tasty) race against time.

This makes around two quarts pre-freezing, so if you’re using one of the smaller in-freezer models you’ll need to cut the recipe down or freeze it in batches.  The custard keeps well in the refrigerator—I usually cook it one day and freeze it the next.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

1 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cooked pureed pumpkin
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 quart heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Scald milk in a medium saucepan.  In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and salt.  Carefully whisk the hot milk into the eggs, a little at a time, then return this mixture to the saucepan.  Add sugars, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and continue to whisk for a few minutes; stir in pumpkin and spices and allow to cool.  When cool, mix in cream and vanilla.  Chill, then freeze.