Spiced Apple Ice Cream

"If the sheer sensual joy of eating homemade ice cream is enough for you to shed your guilt [of healthism/nutritionism], throw away phony industrial foods, and return to eating real foods, all the better." ~Nina Planck, Real Food

Looking for a delightfully autumnish ice cream recipe? This one is sure to hit the spot! I modified a recipe from ReadyMade Magazine article about the book, Spice Dreams (guess I need to get a copy of that!), with Jeni's method of a no-egg custard.

After you go pick your fall apples, you'll definitely want spare some for this treat.

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Spiced Apple Ice Cream

from gidgetgoeshome.com {adapted from ReadyMade Magazine} makes just over a quart

Ingredients:

For the spiced apples:

• 2 large apples (or 3-4 small), cored, peeled, thinly sliced, and cut into quarters (about 2 cups)
• about 1/2 cup honey (or 2/3 cup sugar)- this can be adjusted to your taste
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/8 tsp. salt

For the ice cream:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened (3 tablespoons)
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar (I use organic evaporated cane juice sugar)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt

1. Combine the spiced apple ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook the apples over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples are tender and all the liquid is gone, about 10 minutes. Let the apples cool a bit and then place them in the fridge to chill.

2. Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. In another large bowl (I used my stand mixer), whisk the cream cheese until smooth.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk with the cream, 1/2 c. sugar, brown rice syrup and 1/2 t. vanilla. Bring the milk mixture to a boil and cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

4. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in the salt. Set the bowl in the ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 20 minutes.

5. Pour the ice cream mix into an ice cream maker (strain if desired) and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the chilled spiced apples to to the mixture in your ice cream maker during last minute of mixing and churn until just mixed.  Pour into airtight container(s) and freeze for at least 2-4 hours.

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