American Classics
Pumpkin Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

[Photograph: Alexandra Penfold]

Inspired by Max's genius Pumpkin Brownie Chunk Ice Cream, I've married two great ice cream loves, Cookies & Cream and Pumpkin, in a recipe that's a real winner for Serious Eaters who love that pumpkin + chocolate combo as much I do.

Homemade pumpkin purée can really boost your pumpkin flavor, but the canned stuff will work well, too. You can use any pumpkin pie spice mix for this ice cream, but I'm particularly fond of the blend that Trader Joe's makes with cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves and just a hint of cardamom. If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, try my standby homemade mix: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground clove, and 1/8 teaspoon ground all spice. Check out this pumpkin ice cream primer for even more tips.

About the author: Alexandra Penfold is mild-mannered literary agent by day, food ninja by night. Never one to skip dessert she's the Brownie half of Blondie & Brownie, a Midtown Lunch contributor, and co-author of New York à la Cart: Recipes and Stories from the Big Apple's Best Food Trucks. You can follow her on Twitter at @BlondieBrownie.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 8
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 hours, plus an overnight chill
Special equipment: ice cream maker

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon bourbon
  • 2 cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 12 to 14 cookies)

Procedures

  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together pumpkin, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and spices until thoroughly combined. Slowly whisk in cream and milk until mixture is smooth.

  2. Cook mixture while whisking frequently over medium-low heat. The custard will be ready when it thickly coats the back of a spoon and you can leave a clean line by swiping your finger across it. Stir in vanilla and bourbon, strain into an airtight container, and chill 8 hours or up to overnight.

  3. Once the mixture has chilled, churn according to manufacturer's instructions. When the churning has finished, transfer mixture to a large bowl and using a spatula quickly fold in the cookie pieces. Transfer immediately to a large airtight container (you'll have a generous quart worth of ice cream) and freeze until firm, about 2 to 3 hours.