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Pumpkin Ice Cream

Pumpkin ice cream is a wonderful makeahead dessert to have around during the holidays. Serve it solo or affogato-style with a shot of espresso for the best pumpkin latte ever. Amy Andrews adds just a hint of Willie’s Distillery whiskey to elevate this delicious dessert to divine status.

Make the custard base the day before you’re planning to serve and refrigerate it overnight before churning. The next morning, churn the ice cream, transfer to an easy-to-scoop container, and freeze several hours before scooping.

MAKES ABOUT 2 PINTS

1 cup heavy cream
1½ cups whole milk
A pinch of salt
¾ cup 100% pumpkin purée, fresh or canned (Libby’s)
5 egg yolks
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
A few twists of black pepper
Several gratings of fresh nutmeg (optional)
2 teaspoons whiskey or brandy (optional)

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.

Put the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl set over another bowl filled halfway with hot tap water. Whisk the yolks until they are lukewarm (90–100°F ); this will just take a minute or 2. Remove bowl from the water.

Add the sugar 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 then pour through a fine sieve into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and optional nutmeg and whiskey or brandy. Refrigerate overnight to cool completely.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The Cuisinart with freezer bowl takes 20 minutes. Transfer to a container and freeze until desired firmness.

Adapted from ice cream recipes by Jerry Traunfeld and David Lebovitz.

Amy Andrews inspires people to care about where their food comes from, cook simply with the seasons, and cultivate a joyful relationship with food and body. She is a certified wine professional from the Culinary Institute of America at Napa Valley and blogs at RIPE Food & Wine.
  • Photography by Rachel and Jeremiah Spray. Jeremiah and Rachel Spray are a husband-and-wife photography team specializing in capturing beautiful weddings, portraits, and editorials. They are passionate about creating magic through their lens and delivering stunning visual stories, whether that’s a couple’s first moments together after marriage or a stunning fall food editorial.