I combined my technique (which is really Jerry Traunfeld’s technique from back in The Herbfarm days) with David Lebovitz’s recipe and am really happy with this pumpkin ice cream. Make it the day before you plan to churn and freeze it. For years I’ve used the simple Cuisinart 1.5 quart freezer bowl setup and I highly recommend it—good enough, doesn’t take up much storage space, and if you leave the bowl in the freezer, it’s always ready to go.
Timing: I make the custard on Day 1, refrigerate it overnight, churn the next morning (Day 2), transfer to an easy-to-scoop-from container like the oblong one from Tavolo, then pop that in the freezer until hard enough to scoop, usually by late afternoon Day 2. This would be a nice dessert to have around for Thanksgiving, just saying!
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- pinch salt
- ¾ cup 100% pumpkin puree, fresh or canned (Libby's) 180 grams
- 5 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 90 grams
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed 50 grams
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- ½ teaspoon ginger, ground
- a few twists black pepper
optional: 2 teaspoons whiskey or brandy
Instructions
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Combine cream, milk, and pinch of salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk in the pumpkin, bring to a boil, immediately remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
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Put the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl set over another bowl filled half-way with hot tap water. Whisk the yolks until they are lukewarm, 90–100°F (this will just take a minute or two), then remove the bowl from the water.
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Add the sugars (white and brown) to the pumpkin cream and bring back to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat and immediately pour a gradual stream into the egg yolks, whisking constantly for a minute. (This will cook the egg yolks, an instant-read thermometer will register 170–180°.) Whisk for another minute to slightly cool the mixture and pour through a fine sieve into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or bowl.
Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and optional whiskey or brandy. Refrigerate overnight to cool completely.
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Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions—the Cuisinart with freezer bowl takes 20 minutes.
Ice cream will be soft-serve. Transfer to a container and freeze until desired texture.
