This Gingerbread Ice Cream Recipe May Get You Off Santa's Naughty List by Chef Gigi

Gingerbread ice cream? Yes, please! If you're looking for a special dessert recipe to serve for the holidays, stop right here. Make this rich and creamy gingerbread ice cream recipe and Santa may scratch your name off the naughty list. Well, maybe. Even if he doesn't put you on the good list, this decadent gingerbread ice cream recipe will have been worth it!

To make this creamy holiday ice cream recipe you will need the following ingredients: heavy cream, whole milk, fresh ginger (check out the health benefits of ginger), eggs, dark brown sugar, molasses, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, salt and vanilla or bourbon extract. 

This ice cream is cooked on the stovetop before being added to an ice cream maker. The process is easy, but allow time for the ice cream to churn and to freeze up in the freezer. Serve this aromatic gingerbread ice cream for dessert all through the holiday season (Christmas and Thanksgiving) and beyond!

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes plus time to freeze
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 65 minutes plus time to freeze
Servings: 8 (makes about 1 1/4 quarts)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 1 percent milk)
• 1 3- to 4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped small
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or bourbon extract

Recipe Notes

• Don't skip the step of tempering the eggs. You do not want scrambled eggs in your ice cream!

• Try other extracts in this ice cream like rum extract or almond extract. Almond is a strong flavor, so you have want to reduce it to 1/2 teaspoon.

• Store the ice cream in an airtight container in the fridge. To soften it a bit before serving, remove it from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving. 

Here's how to make it:

1. In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk and fresh ginger. Bring nearly to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to infuse the ginger for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain the mixture, discarding the ginger. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat just until simmering.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Slowly add the warm cream mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Be careful not to over heat and scramble the egg mixture. 
3. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 170 to 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). 
4. Strain the custard into a heatproof bowl and stir in the bourbon extract or vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.
5. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.
   

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