Yet MORE squash, and yet MORE ice cream: pumpkin ice cream

Well, no one has told Annalena that they are tired of her posts on winter squash.  And so, they continue.  See,  there is no such thing as "just a little" winter squash.  If you think of the "small" pumpkins as being 3-4 pounds, or recall the pictures of those hubbard squashes, etc, you will have a sense of what Annalena means here.  You cook one, and you have enough pulp for many applications.  And of course, Annalena turned to ice cream.

Except there really wasn't an "of course" about this.   Annalena has made pumpkin ice cream before, using the canned stuff.  And it's good. REALLY good.  It tastes like frozen  Thanksgiving, to be honest, but in a good way.  The spices, the thick feel of something like pumpkin pie, frozen, is certainly not a thing to be ignored.

But.... recall her remarks in prior blogs, about the difference between the fresh stuff and the canned stuff?  Well, so it was with the ice cream.  Annalena must say that this version, with the fresh pumpkin, was revelatory.  Perhaps she will try it again, to use up some left over hubbard squash, or perhaps she will cook down another pumpkin and then do things like gnocchi or ravioli, and so forth. One never knows with Annalena.  But what one DOES know is, the girl can make ice cream.  So for all of you with the machines, here we go.

If you have made an ice cream before, you will find this ridiculously easy.  If you haven't, you will wonder why you aren't making ice cream more.  You do have to have some fresh cooked pineapple, so scroll back in this on going "salute to squash," and read how to cook it.  After you have cooled it, scraped it, and pureed it, measure out a scant cup of the stuff, and put it aside.  That is all you will need.  So look at the other recipes, for other things to do.

You will also need a pint of heavy cream, a cup of whole milk, a full 3/4 cup of white sugar, 6 large egg yolks, and a teaspoon each, of cinnamon and ginger.

Annalena is going light on the spices here, because the taste of the pumpkin is delicate.  You can increase the quantities, or add nutmeg or other flavors.  But try this first. 

You have all your ingredients, yes?  Now put them all, at the same time, into a pot that will hold at least 3 times the volume of  your ingredients.  Get your whisk, put the heat to medium low, and... whisk.  Whisk until you get a custard.  Admittedly, ragazzi, this last set of instructions is difficult.  When you have experience, you will see the change:  the glossy look of the stuff in your pot, the thickening.  Or, you can do the wooden spoon trick:  put a spoon into what you're making, pull it out, and draw a line down the middle with your finger.  If the milk doesn't come back and fill the space, you've got custard.  And err on the undercooked side here.

Pour this all out into a bowl, and let it cool down to room temperature.  Then, refrigerate it until it is very cold.

And now, as we say   "to everything, churn, churn, churn."  Put it into your machine, and let her rip.

The taste , to Annalena, was sort of like pumpkin eggnog, which is interesting since eggnog has nutmeg in it, and this does not.  But it's pretty darn terrific.    And if you have a sizeable pumpkin , you will have sufficient puree to give you no excuse not to make a second quart.  And you will be glad you did.

Annalena may very well be regaling you next, or soon, with her last plum cake of the season.  It proves to be a good one. Stay tuned, and stay in the kitchen.

BACI