Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Serves 15
30 mins prep
40 mins cook
480 mins Cooling time
550 mins total
Brown sugar custard ice cream base flavored with pumpkin and studded with graham cracker crust pieces and ribbons of toasted marshmallow “whipped cream”.
Pumpkin brown sugar ice cream base
Graham cracker crust pieces
Toasted “whipped cream” ribbons
OR
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Do ahead
The pumpkin puree can be reduced ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to use. The crust can be made ahead of time and stored at room temperature in an airtight container until ready to use. The ice cream custard can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to churn.
Prepare a large baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.
Reduce the pumpkin puree
Heat the pumpkin puree in a medium saucepan over medium heat to cook off excess moisture until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes depending on the strength of your burner. Turn off the burner and let sit for 5 minutes to cool just a bit.
Make the ice cream base
To the same pot with the reduced pumpkin puree, add the half and half, brown sugar, salt, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Heat until simmering and let simmer until the sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly dribble the hot cream into the yolks (I like to do this with a ladle) to temper the egg yolks. Then add the mixture back into the pot.
Return the pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170°F on an instant-read thermometer), while whisking constantly.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl with the 1 cup of heavy cream, discarding any solids. Whisk to combine. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight**.
While the ice cream base is chilling, prep the graham cracker.
Make the graham cracker crust pieces
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and kosher salt. Add the honey to the melted butter. Drizzle in this mixture while tossing with a fork or a rubber spatula. Pour the mixture onto the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet, pressing down with a spatula or greased hands to flatten like a traditional graham cracker crust.
Bake for 8-9 minutes or until golden and crunchy. Let cool and then break apart into smaller pieces.
Make the toasted “whipped cream” ribbons
If using storebought marshmallow fluff, add to a heatproof bowl. Torch with a kitchen torch until toasted. Stir and repeat as many times as you’d like to give it a toasty flavor. This step is optional if you do not have a torch.
If you want to use up the leftover egg whites from the custard, make the homemade version. Follow serious eats’ instructions while using my halved ingredient list in the recipe card. When the meringue is whipped up, start torching and repeat many times. Taste as you go to see if you need to torch more to get a better smoky flavor.
Churn the ice cream
Pour the chilled ice cream base into an ice cream maker and churn according to instructions. I use the Kitchenaid Ice Cream Maker Attachment and mix on 1 for 30-40 minutes.
Layer the ice cream
Place three scoops of the churned ice cream into the pan you’ll freeze it in (I used a 9”x5” metal loaf pan). Pipe or spoon some of the toasted “whipped cream” on top. Sprinkle some of the graham cracker crust pieces on top. Repeat layering until the pan is full. Optionally, garnish with pepitas and any leftover toasted “whipped cream”.
Cover and freeze solid, overnight or at least 4 hours.
