Homemade Apple Cinnamon Ice Cream

For my birthday this year, some dear family friends got me an ice cream maker and I finally used it this week. I’ve still got a ton of apples left from apple picking so I searched for an apple ice cream recipe and found this one from Chez Panisse. It’s perfect timing- almost exactly a year ago, on a trip to San Francisco, my friends and I had dinner at Alice Waters’ mecca of fresh, locally-grown cuisine. It was delicious, to say the least! This recipe, slightly modified from Lindsey Shere’s Chez Panisse Desserts is easy and well worth the whipping cream calories.

You’ll need an ice cream maker that holds at least 1 1/2 quarts and a large nonreactive saucepan (stainless steel, glass, or ceramic). Be sure to have containers to hold your finished product, too!

Options:
I added in 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger. If you want a more pure apple flavor, skip this addition, as the ginger can be a little overpowering.

Shere recommends using Gravenstein or McIntosh apples. I’m not sure which I used, but I think one was Fuji and one was a much tarter red apple. It’s your choice.

After the mixture is churned, you can also add a few drops of calvados (apple brandy).

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus about 2 hours to chill

Churn Time: 25-30 minutes

Makes 1 generous quart

- 1 1/2 pounds apples (4-5 medium apples)

- 3 Tbsp water

- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

- 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar

- 1 2/3 cups whipping cream (not heavy cream)

- 3 egg yolks

- Vanilla extract

1. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Slice thin into a non-reactive saucepan and the water and cinnamon. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes.
2. Mash with a potato masher or pureé in a blender or food processor. Measure out 1 2/3 cups and stir the sugar into it. If you have extra apple pureé, reserve it for another use.
3. Heat the cream over medium heat until very warm. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl, then slowly add about 1/2 cup of the hot cream, stirring constantly.
4. Return the egg mixture to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the spoon, about 3 minutes.
5. Strain into a container and stir in to the apple pureé. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. Taste the mixture and flavor with a few drops of vanilla extract. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.