Pumpkin Ice Cream

Pumpkin Ice Cream... I love my ice cream maker. That's because I get to make ice cream that's homemade and delicious. I know it is much, much easier just to go buy a container. No mess at home, no recipe gone wrong, no work. But, sometimes it's worth making your own... just because you can be creative.... and well... the homemade taste just can't be beat. I think it's well worth the effort.

When making your own ice cream, you have the ability to add all sorts of flavorings and add-ins ... to make it just the way you like it. And, I think that's pretty neat...because oftentimes when making your own flavor, you will most likely not find it on the market. It's fresh, it's unique, and it's your very own concoction:). Usually, that's what's really fun about making your own ice cream ...like this creamy version of pumpkin ice cream. Perfect for fall....and perfect for using some of your leftover pumpkin puree:).

I've never tried pumpkin ice cream before, but I've wanted to make it for some time now...ever since I've seen so many versions of it... on different food blogs, as well as on other sites. I wasn't exactly sure how it would taste, but was hoping it would taste sort of like a mousse version of a pumpkin pie... if that is possible:). So I decided to use the Williams-Sonoma version as a base...and then changing a few things to come up with my own version. Please feel free to make the original...

For mine, I thought I could get away with making it with just using ingredients I had available at home. I used less egg yolks and a mixture of cream and half and half....that's because I didn't have enough cream. I omitted the bourbon because I didn't have any, but added a bit of rum extract to the vanilla. This is a custard style ice cream, so it comes out very creamy. You can enjoy it plain, with some nuts, or with various toppings. You can even sandwich some ice cream between 2 snickerdoodle or sugar cookies....or any other cookie for that matter. If you like, chocolate, you can use a chocolate cake instead of the cookies...which is what I ended up doing. Just the right kind of ice cream for this time of year. Loved the flavor and spice....and so creamy. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: inspired by Williams-Sonoma

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla( or any flavoring you like, such as rum )

1 1/2 cups cream

1/2 half-half

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

4 egg yolks

1/2 tsp ground ginger*

1/2 tsp cinnamon*

pinch of nutmeg*

1/4 tsp salt

* I quite enjoyed the amount of spice the recipe contains, bit if you feel you don't care for too much of the spice, you can always adjust according to your preference.

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the vanilla( or flavoring of choice~ if using bourbon, you will want to add it in the last couple of minutes of churning) and pumpkin puree. Place in fridge while you make the ice cream custard. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup cream plus 1/2 cup half-half. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and mix to combine. Over med. heat, cook mixture till bubbles form on the outside of the pan... approx. 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook as the cream can curdle.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup cream, egg yolks, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger , nutmeg and salt. Whisk until smooth and sugar begins to dissolve. Gradually whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook on med heat until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon (oops... I used a non-wooden spoon). the mixture should slightly thicken...it should take about 4-6 minutes. DO NOT LET IT BOIL. Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve( I didn't bother).

Place the bowl over an ice bath and stir to cool mixture. Take out pumpkin mixture from the fridge and whisk it in. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over custard so as not to form a skin.

Refrigerate overnight. Transfer custard to an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer directions.

Remove ice cream and place in a freezer safe container and enjoy!