Pumpkin Ice Cream - KOTA Territory News

Pumpkin Ice Cream

1 two pound pumpkin (or 3 cups pumpkin puree)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
5 eggs
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon ginger, ground
½ teaspoon cloves, ground
½ teaspoon allspice, ground
1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
¼  teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Split pumpkin in half and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately one hour or until the pumpkin flesh is fork tender.  Peel the rind from the  pumpkin flesh – much easier than scooping  the flesh from the rind and almost no flesh goes to waste.

Combine half and half, 1 cup of the cream and ½ cup of the brown sugar in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook mixture for approximately 5 minutes or until it begins to simmer.

Add the pumpkin and whisk or puree with an immersion blender.

Whisk the egg yolks, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and the remaining cream and brown sugar.

Slowly add the pumpkin mixture to the egg mixture. 

Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken.

Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer, if desired.

Cover the custard mixture and refrigerate until chilled, approximately 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Custard mixture can also be placed in an ice water bath to decrease the cooling time.

Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's directions to freeze.  I love using my Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment. Simply store the bowl and paddle in the freezer and it is always ready for homemade ice cream.

Remove ice cream from freezer once it has processed.

Yields approximately 2 quarts.