Cinnamon Ice Cream

The most common question I’m asked about this blog is Do you take the photos yourself? The answer is yes, I bake or make and then photograph. This time, however, I didn’t do the making. This was hubby’s project from start to finish. He makes ice cream a couple of times a year. I’m still wanting some more of the chocolate ice cream he made last Easter. The first batch for 2012 is cinnamon, a flavour I know he has been wanting to make for a while. If you like snickerdoodles and ice cream, you’ll love this recipe. It’s creamy, with all the flavour of a snickerdoodle. The original calls for just white sugar; this batch substitutes brown sugar and Equal for 1/2 of the white sugar.

Hubby recommends letting the ice cream freeze for at least a night, but says the texture will be best after two days. If you add anything to the recipe, like walnuts or pecans, be sure to chill them first and add them to the ice cream machine late in the freezing process. That goes for any goodies you add to homemade ice cream, says hubby.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
Adapted from recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Equal sugar substitute (do not convert to grams, as you will add way too much sweetener. the conversion from sugar to sweetener works only if you go by volume)
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream (can substitute 3/4 cup of pouring cream plus 3/4 cups of whole milk)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1  1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat (make sure it’s not too hot) stir together the sugar and half-and-half. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble.
   
2. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in the heavy cream. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 10-15 minutes.
   
3. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Cover and set aside to cool for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.
   
4. Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
   
5. Pour ice cream into freezer-safe container with lid, cover surface of ice cream with plastic wrap under lid, and let harden in freezer overnight. Scoop and serve.