Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, and the scraped seeds plus the pod of the vanilla bean. Warm the mixture over medium heat until it is hot but not boiling (about 170°F / 77°C), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let the vanilla infuse for 15 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
3. Gradually pour about 1 cup (240 ml) of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the yolks.
4. Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly over medium-low heat until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon (around 175°F / 79°C). Do not let it boil.
5. Remove custard from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the vanilla pod and any cooked egg bits.
6. Stir in the pumpkin puree, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves until fully combined and smooth.
7. Cover the custard with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.
8. Once chilled, pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, typically about 20-30 minutes, until soft-serve consistency.
9. Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving.