Author Notes
This Philadelphia-style custard was created after a surplus of roasted butternut squash was sitting in the fridge for a while. I decided that it would make the perfect dessert after a chili party and undoubtedly delicious after a Thanksgiving meal. This icecream also lends itself to some delicious mix-ins. Graham crackers, candied pecans or spice cookies would be stellar. Also, feel free to stop after step 5 and just serve the custard with fresh whipped cream! Very adaptable. - rockchick —rockchick
Test Kitchen Notes
Rockchick gives us a very clever recipe for this season. You are likely to have the squash either leftover in your fridge or already in your pantry. I had wondered along the way if there might be too much molasses, too much spice, too much sugar or too much bourbon in the recipe, but everything harmonizes really well. The amounts are spot on! For pumpkin spice I used cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger and clove. With half of the recipe, I heeded rockchick's suggestion to stop after step 5 and enjoy this as a custard and am so glad I did. Especially in case you do not own an ice cream maker, you should not overlook this recipe for a rich, creamy, comfort custard. For the ice cream, I used canned squash puree and it had the silky smooth consistency of a soft serve with great depth of wonderful seasonal flavor. Either way this versatile recipe gets my vote! - Sagegreen —The Editors
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Ingredients
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2 tablespoons
cold coffee (or milk if you don't have it)
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2 tablespoons
cornstarch
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1 cup
milk (skim is actually fine)
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1/2 cup
brown sugar
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2 tablespoons
molasses
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1/4 cup
sugar
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1 pinch
salt
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1
vanilla bean, split or 1 tsp vanilla
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1 piece
cinnamon stick
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1/2 cup
sweetened condensed milk
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1.5 cups
butternut squash puree (fresh is great, but you can also used canned or babyfood!)
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3 teaspoons
pumpkin spice powder
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4 tablespoons
bourbon
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1 cup
heavy cream
Directions
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Whisk together the 2 tablespoons of cold coffee (or milk) with the cornstarch to make a slurry and set aside.
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In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat up the milk, brown sugar, molasses, sugar, salt over a medium flame until it begins to simmer. Ladle a spoonful into the coffee/cornstarch slurry and whisk vigorously. Then add that mixture to the hot pan and whisk away on low heat until it thickens. Should take about 5 minutes.
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Add the butternut squash puree, all of the spices and the condensed milk. If you don't have a vanilla bean, just use a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well combined and remove from heat.
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Place plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture (prevents skin from forming) and place in the fridge to cool (overnight is preferable).
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The next day, put the butternut squash mixture in a blender and add cold heavy cream and the bourbon. Blend until completely smooth.
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Process in an icecream maker according to its directions. This should be ready in about 10-15 minutes depending on your icecream maker. Add in some of the mixers described above in the last few minutes of churning and enjoy immediately (soft serve) or let ripen in the freezer for an hour or two. Because of the bourbon, the icecream will not get super-hard - not even after a day in the freezer! However, it probably won't last that long.
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