Napping with a Gingersnap: Ice-Cream #5

Christmas in June? I hope not - though with the weather in NYC lately anything is possible. Either way, this sweet and spicy Gingersnap Ice Cream is the perfect way to enjoy the flavors of the holidays in summer style. After making this you will agree, there is no reason the classic flavor of gingersnaps needs to be confined to the winter months. Simply crank up the ice-cream maker and enjoy! Like your ice-cream extra spicy? Be sure to read the notes at the bottom, they indicate how to turn up the heat. If you think you can handle it.

Nicole's Gingersnap Ice Cream
(makes 1 pint)
2 egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons molasses
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
2 dashes of nutmeg

1. Combine milk and heavy cream in a large saucepan and bring to a low boil. Add molasses, and stir to incorporate. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and spices. Add one cup of hot milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly. Add remaining milk mixture to eggs, then pour full mixture back into sauce pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon – about 5 minutes.

2. Pour mixture into clean glass bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, and/or up to overnight.

3. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions on time. Scoop into container and freeze for a minimum of two hours.

Note: This recipe has an intense ginger flavor at first taste. If left up to one day in freezer, the taste mellows slightly. You can adjust ginger ratio down to make it more mild – or, if you are like my husband and like your gingersnaps as spicy as possible, you can add crystallized ginger or crushed gingersnap cookies to the mixture - after the ice cream maker, before the freezer!

Additional note: this mixture makes a softer, creamier ice cream than some of the others, so does not require any time out of the freezer before serving.