Apple Pie Ice Cream
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Tomorrow begins the Labor Day weekend. What?! I am still in complete shock that the summer has now come and gone, and all I have to show for it is a racer-back tan line on my upper back and the feeling that I haven’t eaten nearly enough ice cream cones as I should have. At the bank last week, an older gentleman whose skin was golden, likely from spending hours in his garden, asked me why I was so pale and that I should get outside more. If only he knew how quickly I burn and that I spray on 100 SPF if I’m going to be in the sun for more than 15 minutes. I can’t do much about my pale skin tone, but I sure as heck can do something about my lack of ice cream cones this summer. We may be on the cusp of September, but that doesn’t mean I’m slowing down my ice cream churning one bit! I’m just shifting gears to include more fall-inspired flavors. Apple pie in an ice cream cone? Yes, please!
I’m always a little suspicious of recipes that take a classic flavor and deliver it via a completely different vehicle. As it turns out, in this instance, ice cream can taste exactly like apple pie. Especially since apple pie is almost always served with vanilla ice cream! To make this ice cream, apples are cooked down with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and then pureed with half of the ice cream custard base. You get teeny tiny specs of apple in each and every bite, along with a little punch of cinnamon and creamy vanilla ice cream. The kicker is folding in chopped up snickerdoodle cookies, which adds more cinnamon flavor and the texture of a “crust”. I think you could also substitute graham crackers here, or your favorite sugar cookie.
Summer may be coming to a close, but I’m still playing catch up on ice cream cones. This apple pie ice cream is the perfect bridge from warm, summer days to the crisp fall air. Grab a spoon and dig in!
One year ago: Traditional Pavlova
Two years ago: Cowboy Cookies
Three years ago: Lemon-Limoncello Cupcakes
Five years ago: Black Bean Burgers
Apple Pie Ice Cream
Yield: 1 quart
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes (churn time)
Total Time: 12 hours
Ingredients:
For the Apples:
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamonFor the Ice Cream:
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1¾ cups heavy cream
¾ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped snickerdoodlesDirections:
1. Cook the Apples: Combine the brown sugar and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted and bubbly, add the apples and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Make the Ice Cream Base: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, then whisk in 2½ tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, salt and remaining sugar over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
4. Ladle some of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Repeat once more. Using a rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.
5. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, coats the back of a spatula and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Strain the base through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Set the bowl in an ice water bath and stir occasionally until cool. Cover and refrigerator overnight.
6. Churn the Ice Cream: When you're ready to puree the ice cream, combine the cooked apples with the vanilla extract and half of the chilled custard base in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
7. Combine the pureed mixture and the remaining custard base in the bowl of your ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the chopped cookies during the last minute or so of churning, or fold them by hand when it has finished. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze.
(Recipe adapted from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones)
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I just had a sundae at Sarris last week and chose apple pie ice cream with caramel sauce! A salted caramel sauce would be awesome on it too!
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Michelle on August 31st, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Oh, that sounds fabulous! I haven’t made it down to Sarris’ ice cream shop yet. Hopefully there isn’t an NHL lockout and when I head down to Southpointe to watch practice I can make an ice cream pit stop! I will have to keep yours in mind!
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Ardex Cd Fine Concrete Dressing on September 10th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Oh wow… that sounds fantastic!!!! Talk about apple pie ala mode!
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I need this in my life!! I feel the same – summer really got away from me this year
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Apple pie is good. Apple pi ice cream must be good too. I’ll have to do it
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I happen to love apple pie ice cream, and this looks so dreamy. I can’t wait to try it.
You’re not the only pale creature walking around this summer; I, too, am extremely pale. I’m Irish, so the sun is not necessarily my friend. We have a mutual understanding.
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Ohhhhh yummy!!! I bet this tastes amazing!!
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Hi Michelle,
Thank you so much for this recipe-it looks incredible! What a concept!
Over the summer I have tried a bunch of your recipes— to the point that my kids ask, “is this dessert also from the lady on the computer?” LOL!
I look forward to reading your email every day—it puts a smile on my face!
Keep up the great work!
love, another “brown eyed baker!”
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Michelle on August 31st, 2012 at 7:52 pm
Hi Eleanor, Aww, your kids are so cute! Thank you for the kind words!
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I use to buy apple pie icecream at Baskin Robbins when there was a store in our mall. Next to chocolate, it was my favorite. I am definitely going to have to make this recipe for old times sake – lol…. Have a great Labor Day weekend!
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What a nice concept. I have to make room for my Kitchen Aid ice cream maker in the freezer, so I can try this recipe. I like to use Honeycrisp apples in my apple pie (Granny Smith are little too tart for me) and I would probably make the same substitution here. Thanks for the post.
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It may be the end of August, but it is still in the 90′s here. Ice cream is perfectly acceptable! And this flavor sounds absolutely perfect!
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Apple pie is one of my favorite pies!! Looking forward to making this!!
http://www.lifeofamodernhousewife.com
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This is like the best transition dessert. Summer ice cream with fall flavors. Perfection!!
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I saw a girl on chopped make an apple pie ice cream and it made me want to try. Thanks for providing something to work off of!
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Looks yummy! I may just need to get myself an ice cream maker
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Michelle on August 31st, 2012 at 7:54 pm
Yes! You must! I’m convinced that everyone needs to own one
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I can’t get over this recipe! Ice cream with apples and snickerdoodles? OMG! I can’t wait to try this.
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What a fantastic idea for ice cream – I love it.
And I feel you on the pale skin! It took me a long time to become comfortable with being fair skinned, after years of ridicule in school and many failed attempts at tanning (and burning)
Rock that porcelain skin!
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I REALLY want this asap. I’ve never tried apple ice cream but I love apples so it must happen.
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I don’t have a very impressive tan for this summer either. Just some bad tan lines from all my summer bike riding! I should have totally eaten more ice cream this summer. I’ll have this recipe though, because it tastes like fall!
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mmmmmm! That sounds so good!
http://www.shilohstaste.com
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This looks SO good, I can’t wait to make this for my husband who loves apple pie!
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This. is. genius. Pretty much the perfect bridge from summer to fall (though I am in complete denial that summer is ending…). I can’t wait to make this flavor!
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yum, sound very delicious! Another way to enjoy our apple pie. Thank you for sharing and have a great day!
Nora
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I bought a tub of apple pie ice cream when I was getting my wisdom teeth removed, and it was what I ate breakfast lunch and dinner. I got sick of it right when the tub was done and I swore to myself that I would never have apple pie flavored ice cream again in my life. But I think that for yours I would make an exception
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Oh that looks so good – I’m thinking how good it will be on top of a nice big slice of apple pie!
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A local frozen custard place where I grew up made apple pie ice cream and it blew me away. But since I am no longer there I am deprived of it. Good thing you shared this recipe!
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It looks delicious!!!
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Now is is some fun ice cream!!
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