Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

I can't think of a better recipe for Halloween!

It's Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream!! And it is deeelicious!! And worthy of all these exclamation points!!

As long as you have an ice cream maker, you are just a few steps away from this pumpkin ice cream. Like the other ice creams I have shared on the blog previously, this is a simple ice cream - which basically means it is a base of milk and cream, with no fussy eggs to temper and thicken. A combo of pumpkin pie spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, give a classic summer treat a tasty fall-ready make-over.

Because this ice cream includes canned pumpkin, which has a bit of water content, I do take a few extra steps before churning the ice cream base. First, I combine the sugars and dairy in a saucepan and warm it to 170 degrees. This will allow the sugars to melt and thicken the cream slightly without scorching. After completely chilling the ice cream base and the pumpkin mixture, I mix the two together along with a splash of pumpkin liqueur. The liquor will keep the consistency of the ice cream from becoming too icy as a result of the water in the pumpkin puree. It's science! You can leave out the booze if serving this to children, just keep in mind you may find the texture a tad icier (still delicious, though).

As for serving this ice cream, I think it is so flavorful and tasty that it can stand alone on it's own. But, I 100% would NOT judge if you threw in some crumbled gingersnaps, drizzled a bit of caramel sauce on top and added some whipped cream for good measure. Tis the season!

Here's what you need for Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream* (Print Recipe!)

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk or half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon or less ground cloves
1 tablespoon pumpkin liqueur (bourbon would work, too)

Here's what you do

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, vanilla, and sugars. Affix a candy thermometer to the pan and gently bring the mixture up to 170 degrees. Stir frequently. Once up to temperature, transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool to room temperature. Chill in the fridge overnight. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin and the spices. Place in the refrigerator to chill as well.

Spoon a little bit of the cream mixture into the pumpkin and stir until smooth. Combine with the remaining cream mixture and stir in the liqueur. Churn in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions (for me, about 15 minutes). It will be like soft serve immediately after churning. I prefer to freeze for at least 4 hours in a freezer-safe container before scooping and enjoying.

*Adapted slightly from Food Network

Nutella Ice Cream

I want you to know that I am both very, very sorry and very, very NOT sorry about this.

I've made dreams come true. And it hardly takes any time at all!

So, yes, it's true - I made Nutella Ice Cream. And it is so, so simple. More than that, though, it is delicious. The ingredient list is short, which allows that wonderful chocolate hazelnut spread we all know and love to shine through.

This is a "simple" ice cream, which is made up of a base of just milk and heavy cream - no need to temper egg yolks or create any kind of custard. This recipe is a complete riff off my wildly popular and just as mouth-watering peanut butter ice cream, replacing the peanut butter with Nutella.

Look, there are no two ways around this: if you love Nutella and if you love ice cream, you are going to flip head over heels (over and over and over) when you lay your mouth on this. Part of me didn't even want to try making this at the risk that it would be this good. Then I thought...it's summer. We're hot. We want ice cream. Why deny ourselves?!

In addition to Nutella, sugar, milk, vanilla extract and heavy cream, you will need an ice cream maker before this magic can be in your life. There are lots of options out there, but I haven't had any trouble with this Cuisinart model. It's not a terribly large gadget and well worth it for homemade ice cream (in my humble opinion!)

Enough talking...we're making NUTELLA ICE CREAM!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Oh yes, oh yes, you're welcome.

Say it with me now: Peanut. Butter. Ice Cream. Peanut. Butter. ICE CREAM!!

I am still trying to figure out if my mom getting me an ice cream machine was the best or worst thing to happen to me. Probably a little bit of both. Sure, my waistline isn't THRILLED but in everything other sense, ice cream machine = life.

Many ice cream recipes are custard based, so it involves egg yolks, and tempering said egg yolks, and letting the mixture thicken. And these ice creams are delicious, they really are. But this. Ooooh, this.

This Peanut Butter Ice Cream is ridiculously simple. Fool-proof, even. But more importantly than that, it is outrageously delicious. It is made of a just a few good ingredients, and it is this simplicity that takes this ice cream above and beyond. The salty sweet joy of peanut butter packed into every creamy, cool spoonful.

As long as you have an ice cream maker (or a very nice friend with a ice cream maker!) you can absolutely make this recipe! And trust me when I say you should make it A.S.A.P.!