Pumpkin Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup canned unsweetened solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. 1

   Combine cream, milk, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is hot but not boiling, about six minutes.

2. 2

   Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk 1 cup of the warm cream mixture into the bowl with the eggs.

3. 3

   Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Do not boil.

4. 4

   Strain the custard into another bowl and cover it partially with plastic wrap. Cool at least one hour at room temperature.

5. 5

   Combine pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl and blend well. Add to the cooled custard and mix so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate, covered completely, in the coldest part of your refrigerator until the mixture is very cold, about six hours.

6. 6

   Stir the cold pumpkin mixture, then pour into the mixing bowl of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to ice cream maker manufacturer's directions.

7. 7

   Put pumpkin ice cream in a container with a tight cover. Freeze at least three hours before serving.

8. 8

   Tips & Warnings.

9. 9

   When thickening the custard so that it coats the back of a spoon (step 3), the temperature of the mixture should register at least 160 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

10. 10

    The refrigerated custard that has yet to be frozen in the ice cream maker (step 5) can stay covered in the refrigerator as long as three days.

11. 11

    The finished pumpkin ice cream tastes best if eaten within four days of making it.

12. 12

    Make sure your ice cream maker can accommodate 1 1/2 quarts. If not, throw away the excess.

13. 13

    When heating the custard in the thickening phase (step 3), do not boil it. The egg yolks will curdle.