homemade ice cream!

I know it's not exactly peak ice cream season right now, but it is hands down my favorite dessert. Kurt was kind enough to get me the ice cream maker I had been begging for as a birthday gift. I've already made two batches but am trying to practice some self control (small portions and not every night) so I don't give us both diabetes. I truly enjoy the process of making it and there's a lot less to mess up than, say, baking, so I have a feeling we are going to constantly have my latest ice cream creation in the freezer. So if you ever come over to our apartment, I will most likely offer you a bowl of ice cream, because Lord knows I don't need to eat it all myself.

The two batches I have made so far are bastardizations of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. I plan on getting her book soon, but she is gracious enough to have shared so many recipes online, I've had the chance to test the waters and try a few out. And incredibly, Saveur magazine has an article featuring the "Jeni's base" which is the groundwork for each ice cream that then gets flavors and add ins etc. So in the future I can really experiment since the basic ice cream is already figured out! Genius!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

(adapted from Beet Ice Cream featured in Saveur)

Ingredients

2 cups milk

4 tsp. cornstarch
1¼ cups heavy cream
⅔ cup sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pumpkin spice
3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
½ cup puréed pumpkin (mine was canned)

1. In a bowl, stir together ¼ cup milk and the cornstarch; set slurry aside. In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together remaining milk and the cream, sugar, syrup, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin spice. Cook for 4 minutes; stir in slurry. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

2. Place cream cheese in a bowl and pour in ¼ cup hot milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Then whisk in remaining milk mixture; stir in puréed pumpkin. Pour mixture into a plastic bag; seal, and submerge in a bowl of ice water until chilled.

3. Once cooled, pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a storage container and freeze until set.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

(adapted from Savannah Buttermint Ice Cream featured on the Kitchn)

Makes about 1 quart
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3 ounces dark chocolate

1. Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.Whisk the cream cheese, salt, and turmeric in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

2. Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts. Remove from the heat.

3. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag, and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold. Once cooled, pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions.

4. When the ice cream is about 3/4 of the way done, melt the chocolate in a double boiler; let cool slightly. Slowly drizzle the melted chocolate through the top of your ice cream machine into the churning mix; it will form into flecks in the churning cream. Continue to spin the ice cream until thick and creamy.

5. Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid until firm.

And in other kitchen news, we got new stools! Thanks, Dad! And thanks to Kurt for the ice cream maker!