Rating:

5.0 (1 vote)

The fall and the upcoming holiday season has always had one sweet benefit for me: pumpkin ice cream! The Good Foods Market & Café has the most beautiful sugar pumpkins from the Reed Valley Orchard in Bourbon County that produce a sweet & colorful pumpkin puree, perfect for this recipe. Wash & halve the pumpkins, then scoop out the seeds and pulp. Roast the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet with about a cup of water poured in the pan. Cook for 30 minutes or more, depending on the size of the pumpkin, until a paring knife easily pierces the skin and flesh. Cool, peel, and puree the pumpkin and use in any pumpkin recipe.

Using organic eggs and dairy make this ice cream even more deliciously fresh and creamy. Throw in some gingersnap pieces, pecans, or top with caramel sauce for an extra treat!

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
½ cup, plus two tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided
4 egg yolks
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg or more to taste
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp bourbon

In a saucepan, bring the cream, milk, and ½ cup brown sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining sugar with the egg yolks in a medium bowl until well combined. Once the cream mixture comes to a simmer, temper it into the egg mixture by slowly pouring it in a small stream while constantly whisking the egg mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not allow the custard to boil. Strain into a clean bowl, then set this bowl into a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water to cool it down.

Whisk the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and bourbon into the custard mixture. Refrigerate the custard or continue to stir it over the ice bath until well chilled.

Transfer the custard to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer the ice cream to freezer-safe containers and freeze until firm.