Creamy Sage-Infused Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
This light creamy, eggless, sage-infused bourbon pumpkin pie ice cream is sure to hit all the right notes on Thanksgiving. It would be divine with a slice of warm pound cake and a drizzle of caramel sauce and its also perfect all on its own.
When we moved to South Africa, Thanksgiving became complicated for me. I was used to fall Thanksgiving celebrations, with all the warming foods that are cozy and comforting at that time of the year. In Johannesburg, however, it is always summer by the time Thanksgiving rolls around. Exam season is in full swing. The jacarandas have bloomed; and, it is usually hot.
In terms of menu planning, I needed to regroup. While preserving the essence of the holiday, I had to move away from some of our traditional dishes and find replacements that were more appropriate to a summer celebration.
In that spirit, I plan to spatchcock and barbecue the turkey this year. In addition, I’ve developed a range of lighter pumpkin desserts that go with both the season and the holiday. That’s where sage-infused bourbon pumpkin pie ice cream came into play.
About the Recipe
In the June/July 2017 issue, Saveur magazine did an excellent spread about ice cream. In reading the article, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not all ice creams have a custard base. So, I decided to use their recipe for a no-cook, eggless base as a jumping off point.
Based on my reading, I felt the eggless base would be lighter and would better show off the flavours I chose. All that was left was to add a taste of Thanksgiving to the base!
Thanksgiving is a celebration of family, roots and tradition. It is a holiday that binds together all our disparate cultures. It is a time of year to celebrate our diversity, as well as our good fortune. Thus, each family inevitably adds its own unique touch to its Thanksgiving menu.
Our family menu inevitably embraces my Southern and German heritage, and my husband’s Ivorian origins. Ivorians are not that big on desserts. So, the sweets usually fall to me.
My granddad’s family settled in Kentucky immediately after the Revolutionary War. So, our family celebrations often involve Kentucky bourbon — which happens to go very well with pumpkin. It also keeps the ice cream softer and easier to scoop by slowing the formation of ice crystals.
So, bourbon and pumpkin were in. Pumpkin pie spice had to follow. After all, who doesn’t love a pumpkin spice latté? However, I still wanted to add my own touch.
I love cooking with fresh herbs. Hence, I always keep a number of herbs in the garden. At this time of year, sage is fragrant and abundant. For me, sage is the ultimate Thanksgiving herb. It finds its way into turkey and stuffing. However, it doesn’t often appear in desserts, which is a shame.
Sage has a fresh, green flavour. It is incredibly aromatic. Its mild spiciness rounds out the flavour of the ice cream beautifully, complements the sweetness of the pumpkin, and ties it all together. Hence, Sage Infused Bourbon Pumpkin Pie became our family Thanksgiving flavour.
I hope your family loves it as much as mine does. Bon appétit!
Creamy Sage-Infused Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 sprigs fresh sage
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
Instructions
- Whisk together cream, milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan set over low heat. When the mixture starts to bubble gently, turn off the heat. Add the sprigs of fresh sage, cover, and allow to steep for 15-30 minutes.
- Remove the sage from the ice cream base. Whisk in the spices, pumpkin purée and bourbon. Place in a sealed container in the refrigerator and allow to cool for several hours.
- In the bowl of an ice cream maker, churn the mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency. If you prefer a firmer ice-cream, place in the freezer for an additional 3-4 hours prior to serving.
Notes
If you prefer, you can omit the sage. If you do so, begin with chilled ingredients, whisk them together, and churn the ice cream immediately.
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