Thanksgiving Ice Creams

"Pumpkin spice" might be a dirty word to some, but to many, it's still a welcome flavor during fall and especially at Thanksgiving. This pumpkin spice ice cream uses a lot of the same spices you find in a pumpkin pie--cinnamon, allspice, ginger, clove and nutmeg--just in ice cream form.

The other ice cream, ginger and brown sugar, I made specifically to go with apple pie. Both recipes  use Jeni Britton Bauer's technique from her cookbook, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream
Technique adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer

2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (about 1/2 a 15 oz. can) pumpkin puree
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. of nutmeg
1/8 tsp. of allspice
Pinch of ground cloves

1. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp. of the milk with the cornstarch, whisking with a fork until smooth.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and salt. Add the pumpkin puree and honey and whisk until smooth.

3. In large (4 qt.) saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the remaining milk, cream, brown sugar, corn syrup and spices and bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes (watch carefully to prevent boiling over).  Remove pan from heat and gradually whisk in the milk/cornstarch mixture. Return to boil and cook, stirring frequently, for about a minute longer. Remove from heat.

4. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the pumpkin mixture, whisking constantly to combine with the pumpkin until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon bag. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until cold (if desired, place the filled bag in an ice water bath to cool faster).

5. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker until it is thick and creamy. Transfer to a container and freeze until hard, at least 4 hours.


Ginger-Brown Sugar Ice Cream
Technique adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer

2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
1/8 tsp. salt
2-3 inches of fresh ginger root
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1. Whisk 2 tbsp. of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl (I use a 1-cup liquid measuring cup). Set aside. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

2. Whisk cream cheese salt in a large bowl (I use an 8-cup liquid measuring cup).

3. Peel and chop the fresh ginger until there's a heaping 1/4 cup. Add to a 4-quart saucepan with the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup and remaining milk. Bring to a rolling bowl over medium-high heat. Boil mixture for 4 minutes, watching carefully and stirring frequently to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes.

4. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry and return mixture to medium-high heat to boil for an additional minute to thicken. Remove from heat, strain to remove ginger pieces, and gradually whisk hot mixture into cream cheese until smooth. Pour mixture into a large gallon-size zip lock bag and submerge sealed bag in an ice water bath. Once cooled, you can store this mixture in the fridge for awhile or proceed with processing the ice cream in step 5.

5. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and process until thickened and frozen, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a storage container and freeze fully in the freezer.

Other recipes

Thanksgiving central (links to all Thanksgiving recipes and articles)

Old-Fashioned Texas Pecan Pie

Bourbon-Caramel Pumpkin Tart

Apple Pie with Vodka Crust