Roasted pumpkin ice cream with hazelnuts

On the one hand, there are ice creams and on the other, there are homemade ice creams. The difference can be huge, especially if you follow recipes as delicious as the one brought to us today by Eva, author of Bake-Street : this roasted pumpkin ice cream with hazelnuts is a real temptation, and it is also very curious, since few will realize from its flavor that it is made from roasted pumpkin. Try it, believe me!

If there's one thing I like to make in the summer, it's ice cream. Well, the rest of the year too, but at this time of year it seems to be much more appealing. We eat it a lot at home and this allows me to try out many recipes like this roasted pumpkin ice cream with hazelnuts .

I must admit that at home it was not received with much applause until they tried it. The flavour and texture are very surprising because you would not at all think that it is made with pumpkin.

To make it, we will need to roast the pumpkin beforehand , in the way you usually do at home. However, do not use oil, salt or pepper on it. Roast it naturally and in pieces, so that the cooking time is shorter. The quantity I specify in the recipe is clean pumpkin, without seeds or skin.

To decorate the ice cream, I thought of using the pumpkin flower itself, but crystallized . This way we will achieve a very attractive presentation with a flower that we can eat, adding a crunchy and sweet touch.

KitchenAid Artisan with KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment and Fleur de Ligne mixing bowl by Tokyo Design

You will see that among the ingredients we will need to use inverted sugar. You may be wondering, what is this?

Inverted sugar is the hydrolysis decomposition of sucrose into glucose and fructose, that is, through the hydrolysis process, sucrose is divided into two subunits.

And why do I need to add it to ice cream?

Inverted sugar has an anti-crystallizing power, which means that it makes it difficult for sugar to crystallize. It allows for a much creamier and smoother result. If you don't use it, you could end up with small pieces of ice.

Another aspect that you should keep in mind is that inverted sugar is 33% sweeter than normal sugar , so do not overuse it.

Can it be done at home?

Of course, it is also very simple and can be stored in a cool, dry place for months. Below I will tell you how to make it at home.

Can invert sugar be substituted with any other ingredient?

Yes. If you don't feel like doing this, you can use Golden Syrup or honey instead. Keep in mind that the latter will add its own particular flavour, so if you don't like honey, opt for another ingredient.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE ROASTED PUMPKIN ICE CREAM:

• 180gr of clean roasted pumpkin
• 390gr of whole milk
• 270gr of whipping cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• 105gr dark muscovado sugar
• 30g inverted sugar (recipe below)
• 45gr mascarpone cheese
• pinch of salt
• 60gr of toasted hazelnuts

FOR INVERTED SUGAR:

• 350g granulated sugar
• 150gr of water
• 5ml lemon juice
• 5gr of sodium bicarbonate

FOR CRYSTALLIZED FLOWERS:

• squash blossoms
• 1 egg white
• fine grain white sugar

KitchenAid refrigerator accessory

ELABORATION

How to prepare inverted sugar:

1. In a saucepan, add the water along with the sugar and lemon juice, mix well with the whisk .
2. We place it on medium heat and leave it until it reaches 100º C , we will use a digital thermometer .
3. Once it reaches that temperature, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature until it reaches approximately 50º C.
4. At this point we add the baking soda and mix until completely dissolved.
5. Let it cool completely to room temperature .
6. After cooling, we will notice that a whitish layer has formed on the surface. Remove it with a spoon and pour the inverted sugar into an airtight container .
7. We can keep it in a dark, cool and dry place.

We prepare the roasted pumpkin ice cream:

1. In a large pot, add the milk together with the chopped roasted pumpkin, the cream and the inverted sugar. Place over medium heat and leave until it begins to smoke without reaching boiling point .
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the brown sugar and salt. Mix with a whisk to homogenize the mixture.
3. Once the cream mixture has reached room temperature, remove from heat and blend until smooth and fine.
4. Using a ladle, add a small amount to the bowl of egg yolks and whisk quickly . This process is called tempering and serves to gently and gradually transfer heat to the yolks and prevent them from coagulating.
5. We gradually add the rest of the cream mixture, always beating at the same time, until it is completely incorporated into the yolks.
6. We pour it back into the pot, place it on medium heat and, stirring constantly with the whisk , we leave it until it reaches 80º-85ºC . We will notice that the mixture thickens slightly and when we introduce a wooden spoon we will observe that the mixture creates a layer on the spoon called nappe .
7. We remove the mixture from the heat.
8. Add the mascarpone cheese and mix until completely dissolved using a whisk.
9. We pass the mixture through a strainer, pour it into a container/tupperware and let it cool completely.
10. Once it has cooled, cover it with film or put it in its own lid and place it in the refrigerator overnight .

We churn the ice cream:

1. Pour the mixture into the KitchenAid ice cream maker and let it work for 15-20 minutes. The ice cream base should thicken.
2. Without stopping the ice cream maker, add the chopped hazelnuts and leave for 1 minute so that they are evenly distributed.
3. Once it is ready, we pour the ice cream into an airtight container and place it in the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours or until the next day .

We prepare the crystallized pumpkin flowers:

1. Very carefully, open the petals and remove the pistil. You can cut it flush with the flower's calyx, but without cutting it or the sepals. You will also keep a small part of the stem uncut.
2. We wash the flowers, inside and out, very carefully, and dry them with absorbent paper.
3. Lightly beat an egg white and set aside.
4. Pour sugar into a deep plate. Prepare a rack where you will let the flowers dry.
5. Using a brush , intended exclusively for food use, we paint the entire surface of the flower with the egg white. We drain off any excess.
6. Using a spoon, generously pour sugar over the flower until it is completely covered.
7. We place them on a rack and repeat the process with the rest of the flowers.
8. If we notice that in some areas the sugar has dissolved due to an excess of egg white, we will sprinkle a little more sugar on them.
9. We let it dry at room temperature overnight . It may take 12 to 72 hours to dry.
10. Once they are dry, we store them in an airtight container for several months.

We serve the ice cream:

1. Before serving the ice cream, let it cool for 5 minutes at room temperature.
2. We serve the ice cream balls in individual bowls with the help of an ice cream scoop , decorate with candied pumpkin flowers and serve with toffee sauce.

This roasted pumpkin ice cream with hazelnuts will surprise you a lot. If you have a sweet tooth, since the ice cream has just the right amount of sweetness, you can accompany it with a homemade toffee sauce. Wonderful, I give you my word.

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• You can see Tokyo Design bowls and others we love here .
• You will find all KitchenAid food processors and accessories here .

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