Ice Cream Sunday: Cinnamon Ice Cream
22 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Desserts, Ice Cream Tags: Cinnamon, Desserts, Ice Cream
As I planned Christmas dessert last month, I chose a Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Frosting and thought cinnamon ice cream might pair nicely with it. It would have if the dessert had worked out as planned, but alas, it didn’t (you can read that story on the post). So, I never got to share this treat with anyone.
A few days ago, cravings hit for Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting, truly the BEST EVER chocolate cupcakes. I tested my theory, and yep, the cinnamon ice cream complements chocolate cake beautifully, as if they were meant to go together.
The cinnamon lends a warm spicy touch and is most definitely noticeable but not too overpowering. I chose this particular recipe because it uses ground cinnamon whereas some others require using 10 cinnamon sticks to steep in the custard. Ground cinnamon proved far easier and less expensive.
I did alter the recipe slightly by adding vanilla bean paste instead of just vanilla. That added a layer of sweetness that I think helps balance out the heat of the cinnamon. You could use a vanilla bean in place of the paste if you happen to have one hanging around your pantry. I happen to have a jar of the paste, though, and rarely use it, so I thought “Why not?” I love the sweet vanilla taste it adds to the ice cream as well as the pretty appearance from the flecks of vanilla bean.
Just a little side note here: the ice cream doesn’t freeze rock hard, which is terrific. A lot of recipes require a bit of thaw time, but this one scoops fairly easily.
So what else is cinnamon usually paired with? Apple pie–yes, the ice cream would go hand-in-hand with that. Pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake? Yep, it would work with that. Fruit crisps and crumbles? Definitely.
Or, it’s yummy all on its own, too.
Cinnamon Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla (I used vanilla bean paste)
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and half-and-half.
- When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat; whisk half of the mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking quickly so that the eggs do not scramble.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan; stir in the heavy cream. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to ensure a smottoh custard base, then place that bowl into an ice-water bath (that’s just a larger bowl filled with some ice and water; it will help cool the custard base). Stir until custard cools.
- Whisk in vanilla and cinnamon.
- Place in a covered container in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
- Pour cold custard into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
SOURCE: allrecipes.com
See another recipe version on Brown-Eyed Baker
