Cinnamon Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream

It's Thanksgiving week and everyone is gearing up for a great Thanksgiving feast!

I love Thanksgiving. It's a great time for families just to get together and share a wonderful meal. We can catch up with everyone, reminisce about the past and look ahead to what could be in store for the future.

I think Thanksgiving sometimes gets overlooked more and more each year. It seems like I hear Christmas music on the radio right after Halloween. Also as I'm driving home I see houses lit by twinkling, colorful Christmas lights. I do understand everyone's enthusiasm for Christmas but can we just hold off until after Thanksgiving?

There is a lot to be thankful for each year and I hope people just don't pass this holiday up, go right to Christmas, buy what they think everyone wants, and not take into account the really important things in life. Are the hours spent at the mall shopping and waiting in long lines time lost that you could be playing with your kids or enjoying an ice cream cone with your friends?

Thank you to all my family and friends. Even if we are not all at the same table this Thanksgiving, I'm glad you have stopped by to read my post. I'm lucky to be touched by you; and you have help make me the person I am.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Cinnamon Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 cup of pumpkin puree
3/4 cup of sugar
8 oz of cream cheese
2 cups of  heavy cream
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of crushed cinnamon graham crackers
pinch of salt

Directions:

In a mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground nutmeg. Stir the ingredients together and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of heavy cream sugar and milk. Dice the cream cheese into little chunks and add to the saucepan. Over medium heat stir the ice cream base until the sugar and cream cheese dissolve.

Add the pumpkin puree into the ice cream base and then stir until everything is fully incorporated. Pour the ice cream base through a fine mesh strainer into a mixing bowl.  Pour in the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream. Place the pumpkin cheesecake ice cream base in an ice bath for 1 hour then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Mix the ice cream base according your ice cream manufacturer directions.

Once the ice cream is a soft-serve consistency then scoop it out into a freezer safe container, incorporating the crushed cinnamon graham crackers. Let the ice cream set in the freezer for at least 4 hours and then serve.