A Winter Ice Cream...Vegan Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream

This weekend I felt like making a little ice cream.  Actually, I have been planning to make this ice cream for months and stuff always just came up or the task of making ice cream felt too daunting.  But this weekend, I put my game face on and got it done.  Once again realizing when I was done, how simple it really can be to make ice cream.  Oh and I almost had an ice cream disaster.  

This is how it played out...Friday night make the ice cream base (super easy)...Saturday morning break ginger snaps in to pieces and head to Williamsburg for the day...Saturday night throw ice cream base in to pre-frozen ice cream bowl, dump in ginger snaps, turn the machine on and head up stairs to get ready to go out.  25-30 minutes later I came down stairs and ice cream was set BUT all of my nicely broken ginger snaps had been crushed in to oblivion and were now completely incorporated into the ice cream.  Oops... So, what did I do?  Added more ginger snap pieces of course; I really really wanted the added texture in this ice cream.

Well it turned out not as creamy as I would have liked, but this might have had to do with using coconut milk instead of regular milk.  It kind has more of a sorbet texture.  It was also a bit grainy because of my mistake with the ginger snaps.  But the flavors came out just as I wanted, and the ginger snaps I folded back in softened just the right amount in the ice cream.  I would definitely make this again, but lesson learned and all...wait to put in the ginger snaps.

The ingredients for the base of this spicy, pumpkin ice cream.

Coconut milk, spices, maple syrup and agave nectar.

Base ready to chill over night.

Vegan Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream: (adapted from Laura Friendly)

2 13.5 oz. cans of coconut milk (use the regular coconut milk, not lite)

2 teaspoons cornstarch 

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup maple syrup 

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

10 ginger snaps broken in pieces (Nabisco brand Ginger Snaps are vegan)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the coconut milk, until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.

2. In a medium size sauce pan, whisk together the remaining coconut milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, agave nectar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Heat over medium heat and continue whisking until the mixture starts to bubble. 

3. Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Continue to simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, allow to cool.  

4. Allow mixture to chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours (or over night) and then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instruction.  If you have the small Cuisinart ice cream/sorbet/yogurt maker it only takes about 20-30 minutes.  Once ice cream has come together, fold in the ginger snap pieces and serve!  For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.  Enjoy!