Pumpkin Ice Cream with Pecan Praline Sauce

for the pumpkin ice cream

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• pinch of kosher salt, or more to taste
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

1. Heat the pumpkin puree, cream, milk and spices in a saucepan over medium/low heat. When the mixture starts steaming, turn off the heat and let sit while you are working on the next step.
2. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugars until lighter in color. Temper the eggs by stirring in a few ladle-fuls of the hot cream mixture little by little, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the cream. Turn the heat to medium/low again and stir until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the bourbon and vanilla paste.
3. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream has reached soft serve consistency, spread into a loaf pan. Place ice cream in freezer until hardened.
4. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving to soften the ice cream.
5. Warm the pecan praline sauce ever so slightly in the microwave and spoon directly over each portion of ice cream.

for the pecan praline sauce

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, or light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
• 2 teaspoons bourbon, or vanilla extract
• 1 cup toasted pecans, slightly broken up

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Whisk in the sugar, cream and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, whisking occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer. Continue whisking for a few minutes until sauce thickens and thickly coats the back of a spoon.
3. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter. (You can totally throw this tablespoon of butter in at the beginning, but I like the way the butter melts and emulsifies in the hot sauce.) Stir in the bourbon. Stir in the pecans. Let cool.