Bourbon Pumpkin Ice Cream
 
 
by:
Serves: Makes about a generous quart.
Ingredients
  • 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée
  • 1⅓ cups half and half
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 4 egg yolks
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1⅓ cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, set over medium-high heat, cook the pumpkin puree until it has lost its raw flavor and reduced to 1½ cups, about 8 minutes. Measure off ¾ cup of the pumpkin puree, and reserve the rest for another use (or double the recipe!).
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the half-and-half, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and heat over medium until steaming (but not boiling).
  3. Set up a 4-quart saucepan, filled halfway with water. Bring the pot of water to a boil over high heat while you’re preparing the custard base.
  4. In a 3-quart stainless steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, and salt, then slowly whisk in the warm half-and-half. Reduce the temperature under the pot of boiling water to maintain a gentle simmer. Set the bowl of custard base over the simmering water and whisk frequently, scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens noticeably, about 5 minutes. The custard is sufficiently cooked when it reaches 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (You can also test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the custard, then running your finger through the custard: if the line holds clearly, the custard has thickened sufficiently.)
  5. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice. Nestle a smaller bowl into the ice and pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl in the ice bath. Whisk the mixture until it is completely cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
  6. When ready to churn the ice cream, stir the pumpkin, heavy cream, bourbon, and vanilla into the custard base. Strain once more through a fine mesh strainer. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Scrape into a freezer container and freeze for several hours to firm.
Recipe by Three Many Cooks at https://threemanycooks.com/recipes/sweet-treats/bourbon-pumpkin-ice-cream/