Oh my gosh! Words fail me….but I will try. I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream! This has never been truer than with this cinnamon ice cream. I mean, I could almost get hysterical this is so good! The best way I can describe it is, it tastes like the icing on a freshly baked cinnamon roll! Then pair it with a slice of apple pie and the talking is done!
The ice cream base is one I use for all my ice cream creations and then you can customize it from there. Your imagination is the only thing that will limit you when it comes to ice cream flavors. I mean really, Ben and Jerry figured that out a long time ago. But once you make ice cream at home, you will be hard pressed to buy it at the store ever again. Enough said, let’s make ice cream!
Cinnamon Ice Cream
The killer cinnamon ice cream ingredients! Looks simple but the flavor will knock you silly!
Give the cinnamon sticks a light smack to open more surface to allow flavors to release into the cream.
Heat the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks, and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream together in a medium saucepan to a simmer. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep 30 minutes.
Remove the cinnamon sticks and rewarm the mixture. If small pieces of the cinnamon stick remain, don’t worry, they will be removed when you strain the custard.
Set a medium-sized bowl in a larger bowl that’s partially filled with ice water. This is an ice bath and will help to cool down the custard faster. Place a mesh strainer over the medium bowl and pour the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream into the medium bowl to chill. Set aside.
Whisk together the egg yolks in a small bowl until slightly lighter in color, about 2 minutes.
Gradually add some of the warm cinnamon-infused milk to the yolks, whisking constantly. This will temper the mixture and not allow the eggs to scramble.
Add the rest of the egg yolks, stirring to combine and add back into the saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Don’t over cook or your eggs will start to scramble.
Remove from heat and immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the cream. The strainer will catch any bits of cinnamon stick and thickened eggs. Now you have a smooth, creamy custard which will give you a smooth ice cream.
Stir the custard until cool for several minutes.
Add the cinnamon and vanilla, stir to combine and then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Or you can speed up the process and place the custard in the freezer for 15 minutes or so. Just enough to chill it and no more. Can you see I just can’t wait to eat this ice cream?
Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This should take about 20-30 minutes. You will be able to watch it transform into ice cream before your very eyes!
The ice cream will be at the soft serve stage now. Absolutely taste it now! Wait no more! You could eat it now too but it is just so much better when it is fully firmed up!
Place into a quart container and freeze for 4 hours or overnight. Patience, we are almost there! It is so worth the wait, I promise!
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 5 cinnamon sticks, broken up
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Heat the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks, and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream together in a medium saucepan to a simmer. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep 30 minutes.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks and rewarm the mixture. If small pieces of the cinnamon stick remain, don't worry, they will be removed when you strain the custard.
- Set a medium-sized bowl in a larger bowl that’s partially filled with ice water. This is an ice bath and will help to cool down the custard faster. Place a mesh strainer over the medium bowl and pour the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream into the medium bowl to chill. Set aside.
- Whisk together the egg yolks in a small bowl until slightly lighter in color, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add some of the warm cinnamon-infused milk to the yolks, whisking constantly. This will temper the mixture and not allow the eggs to scramble.
- Add the rest of the egg yolks, stirring to combine and add back into the saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Don't over cook or your eggs will start to scramble.
- Remove from heat and immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the cream. Stir the custard until cool.
- Add the cinnamon and vanilla, stir to combine and then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Or you can speed up the process and place the custard in the freezer for 15 minutes or so. Just enough to chill it and no more.
- Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream will be at the soft serve stage now. Place into a quart container and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
