Pumpkin Ice Cream

Thanksgiving is one of my most memorable holidays, because it was a way that my grandmother and mother would spend all day and usually the day before cooking and getting the house ready for family and friends to come over.

I miss the hustle and bustle of the holiday, since now the family is gone, and usually we will wind up going to friends for the dinner.

I do a Russian Easter dinner sometimes, but usually it has dwindled down from family and friends to a few close friends.
Gone are the wild and crazy days of a Russian table of 20 or so, to now maybe 6 or so Russkies.
Gone are are days of tipsy Russians, notice I say "tipsy" Not drunk.
That is being politically correct.

Anyway, during the holidays I usually will make a least one of not two Pumpkin items. The last few years I have made pumpkin cheesecakes, with gingerbread crust. This year I figured in doing some ice cream.
In the plaza in Patzcuaro have some of the better home made ice cream makers, so why do all the rigmarole of making home made?
Because they don't have PUMPKIN, thats why.

So here it is.
Pumpkin Ice Cream
( Makes about 1 quart)

Adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco & Mindy Fox

If using canned pumpkin, make sure to find one that's 100% pumpkin. Often you'll find cans of pumpkin pie mix. That has spices and sugar and crap you don't want. You want your own spices and crap! So open the can and press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer before freezing, as directed.

Pumpkin can be slightly grainy and straining the custard is a good idea to help smooth it out.

Stuff you will need:

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) whole milk
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (95 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup packed (60 g) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier, rum or brandy

3/4 cup (180 g) canned pumpkin puree (100% pure), or homemade

1. Make an ice bath by putting some ice and a little water in a large bowl and nest a smaller metal bowl (one that will hold at least 2 quarts, inside it. Set a mesh strainer over the top.

2. In a medium saucepan mix the milk, cream, granulated sugar, ginger, ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and salt.

3. Warm the mixture until hot and the edges begin to bubble and foam.

4. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and gradually whisk in about half of the warm spiced milk mixture, stirring constantly.

5. Scrape the warmed yolks back in to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read between 160º-170ºF (71º-76ºC).

6. Immediately pour the mixture through the strainer into the bowl nested in the ice bath. Mix in the brown sugar, then stir until cool, then chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

7. Whisk in the vanilla, liquor (if using), and pumpkin puree. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Variations: Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups (250 - 320 g) white or milk chocolate chips, crushed caramel, chopped up Skor or Daim (toffee) bars, or chopped toasted pecans or walnuts. A bit of chopped candied ginger would be nice, too.

Leftover bits of crumbled gingersnaps or gingerbread, or even toasted bits of brown bread or gingerbread could also be folded in, or crumbled on top for serving, which was suggested in the book.

It will usually take about 20 minutes in my machine, which will then require putting in your normal house freezer to get it down to "freezing"

The ingredients are not vital, unlike baking, it is hard to screw up!
After you do it a couple of times, you will try to make ice cream out of lots of stuff.
I have made Chai, Green Tea, Ibarra Chocolate, to name a few.

Enjoy!


I had a couple of emails asking what kind of a ice cream machine I used. The one I use is made by Kitchen Aid, but unfortunately is no longer made by them. Any ice cream machine will work, just remember to finish off the freezing in the freezer. You may be able to find a used on , on Ebay or other used appliance site.