Acorn Squash Ice Cream

Start enjoying those wonderful fall desserts before Thanksgiving with this ice cream made from a surprisingly sweet squash variety: acorn squash. The flavor combination of brown sugar and just a little butter makes it hard to forget this unique treat is in the freezer. The subdued amounts of spice complement the delicate flavor of acorn squash. I modified this recipe from an existing pumpkin ice cream recipe in one of my cookbooks.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 367 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups milk
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 acorn squash
• 1 tablespoon water, or as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place squash, pointed-side up, on a baking sheet.

Step 2

Bake in the preheated oven until squash is tender, about 1 hour. Cool squash until easily handled. Cut squash in half, remove seeds and stringy parts of meat, and peel skin from the squash and discard.

Step 3

Mash the squash meat in a bowl and measure 1 cup meat.

Step 4

Combine 1 cup squash meat and butter in a saucepan; add enough water to make squash stir-able. Cook squash mixture over low heat until squash softens, adding more water if needed to thin the squash, about 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and cool squash mixture.

Step 5

Beat egg yolks and brown sugar together in a bowl using a whisk until thickened.

Step 6

Heat cream and milk together in a saucepan over low heat until mixture begins to simmer. Gradually pour cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture and beat until smooth to temper the eggs. Pour the cream-egg mixture into the saucepan; simmer over low heat until mixture is thickened and easily coats the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Strain cream mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl and cool to room temperature.

Step 7

Beat squash mixture into cream mixture until smooth; stir in vanilla extract, ginger, salt, and allspice. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours.

Step 8

Stir cream mixture and transfer to an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for making ice cream.