Continuing with my full-on fall obsession, I have a delicious apple-themed dessert for you today.

This ice cream…. gah, it’s so good! Sweet, spicy, creamy. While brainstorming this recipe, I knew I wanted to do something apple-y and definitely spiced up…and I wanted to do an ice cream… somehow, I managed to make it work!

I was nervous at first about this idea. Most people associate cider with being cozy. It’s usually served warm, infused with spices, and sometimes spiked with something more devious. Ice cream isn’t really cozy, per se… But that’s the fun part of cooking! Pushing past the expectations and creating something new.

While ice cream may be something that you only want to eat on a hot day (you, crazy person, you), this one conjures up yummy fall food memories. If you really want to keep it cozy, serve this over some hot apple pie or in a glass with some bourbon poured over top. I haven’t actually tried either option, but I’m fairly confident that they would be pretty great. Ice cream and apple pie go together like…well, ice cream and apple pie…duh. And bourbon…well that goes with…er…everything.

I kid, I kid (except not really).

So, layer on some extra blankets and cozy up with a bowl of this ice cream. Who cares if it’s chilly outside? It still TASTES cozy…and delicious.

(PS – how many times did I just use the word “cozy”? Five too many? Love me anyway?)

Spiced Apple Cider Ice Cream

Yield: makes 1 quart 1x

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Scale

Ingredients

2 cups apple cider
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6 egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of fine salt
2 teaspoons bourbon, optional (or other hard alcohol – it helps keep the ice cream from getting too hard. Alcohol doesn’t fully freeze!)

Instructions

In a medium sauce pot, combine the apple cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon stick. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Cook until the apple cider is reduced by roughly half. Remove from heat and discard the cinnamon stick.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Very slowly add about ½ cup of the hot cider mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. This will temper the yolks and help prevent them from scrambling.
Whisk in the milk and heavy cream.
Pour the mixture back into the pot and return to medium-low heat, constantly whisking and stirring the mixture. The custard is done once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon or spatula.
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla, spices, salt, and bourbon until fully blended.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer.