This month’s Flavor of the Month is celebrating autumn’s favorite vegetable: pumpkin. When I saw Bridget had posted this theme, I smiled as I came to the exciting realization that this was my perfect opportunity to try cooking with fresh pumpkin. Many thanks to Bridget for encouraging this, as I’m very pleased to tell you that I will never again pay $$$ for canned pumpkin again, unless I’m in a serious pinch for time.
Cooking pumpkin is easy. There are many options. Roasting the pumpkin, skin on, is the way to go for soup dishes or other savory eats. Microwaving is the simple route I took with this ice cream. No mess, little fuss, done in minutes.
The pumpkin pie ice cream is really a fantastic transition from summer to fall. It reminds me of one of my favorite DQ Blizzard treats. With bits of cookie in each bite and the smooth, cool tingle of the pumpkin ice cream is sure to please. Husband and I found that our favorite serving suggestion goes kind of like this:
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Yields 1 quart
1 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. cream
4 yolks
1 c. pumpkin puree
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla
1 T. bourbon or rum
10 vanilla wafers, chopped
Whisk together yolks and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, cream, and pumpkin puree. Cook, stirring frequently, until it comes to a bare simmer.
Stirring constantly, slowly pour half hot milk mixture into the yolks. Pour everything back into the saucepan and return to low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and salt.Cover and chill ice cream base in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
When completely chilled, pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions. Add chopped wafers 5 minutes before the end of freezing. Place in freezer to harden, 4-6 hours.
wow this looks wonderful! Do you need an ice cream maker?
Yes, Megan, this is an ice cream maker recipe. I’m sure that you could easily convert it to something that didn’t require the technology by using more cream (*whip it!)and stashing it in the freezer, stirring and scraping the edges of the bowl with a fork every couple of hours. That’s what I did before I had my lovely IC maker.
Oh, and with the oreos on top as suggested…even better! What a great idea…and now I’m thinking about trying to make the pumpkin puree at home. 🙂
I just made pumpkin spice ice cream too! Love it.
You can make it the kind-of from scratch without an ice cream maker by just mixing in the pumpkin to softened vanilla ice cream…. Not quite the same, but it works.
Oh my gosh, pumpkin ice cream?! This looks absolutely amazing. Adding it to my must-try list!
Stunning ice cream! It looks amazing 🙂
you know what would be amazing? pumpkin pie milkshakes!
I’m going to be making some soon as (I think) the kids schedules have finally slowed down! Yay!
~ingrid