Pumpkin Ice Cream

Directions

1. The night before you plan to churn, place the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer to freeze. It's also a good idea to make the ice cream base the night before so it has time to chill.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the pumpkin puree, whole milk, and heavy cream. Once the mixture starts to boil, remove it from the heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the packed brown sugar and egg yolks until the mixture becomes pale and forms thick ribbons, about 3 to 4 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer. While whisking constantly, gradually add about half of the hot pumpkin mixture to the egg mixture, one ladle at a time, to temper the eggs. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining pumpkin mixture.
4. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to let it come to a simmer. To test if it's ready, coat the back of the wooden spoon with the mixture and run your finger through it. If the line remains clean, the custard is done—this should be around 170°F if using a candy thermometer.
5. Once the custard has thickened, stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Strain the mixture into a large bowl and place it over an ice bath. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
6. When the custard is fully chilled and the ice cream maker bowl is frozen, churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions, about 15 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally. Once it reaches a soft-serve consistency, transfer it to another container and freeze until firm, 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.