Hamdi Saidani This Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Ice Cream is a rich, custard-based ice cream with deep, warm cinnamon flavor. It is smooth, creamy, and tastes like the inside of a cinnamon roll. You will need an ice cream maker, and the base has to chill before churning, so start early.
The cinnamon flavor comes from two places. You steep whole cinnamon sticks in the hot half-and-half so the flavor infuses cleanly, then remove them. A little ground cinnamon stirred in at the end deepens it without leaving the base gritty.
The custard is the part to handle with care. You temper the yolks by drizzling in the hot liquid one ladle at a time, whisking hard, so the eggs warm up slowly instead of scrambling. Then it cooks just until it coats a spoon, gets strained, and stirred into the cold heavy cream.
Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Ice Cream
Description
This Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Ice Cream churns a cinnamon-steeped custard into smooth, creamy ice cream. Active time about 20 minutes, plus chilling and freezing.
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream:
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the half-and-half and sugar. Stir in the cinnamon sticks, the vanilla bean seeds, and the empty pod. Heat until very hot but not boiling.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes, until slightly lighter in color.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod. Slowly drizzle a ladle of the hot liquid into the yolks, whisking constantly to temper them. Repeat with a second ladle.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the pan, stirring. Cook for about 2 minutes, until thick enough to coat the spoon.
- Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Do not worry if it is a little lumpy.
- Stir in the heavy cream and ground cinnamon. Chill the mixture for about an hour.
- Churn in an ice cream maker per the manufacturer’s directions, until it reaches soft-serve stage.
- Transfer to a freezer container and freeze several hours or overnight, until firm.
FAQs
Why both cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon?
The sticks infuse a smooth, mellow flavor as they steep, while the ground cinnamon at the end adds a stronger, more direct kick. Together they give you depth without one overpowering the other.
My custard came out lumpy. Did I ruin it?
No. Ree even says not to worry about it. Straining catches the lumps and bits of cooked egg, leaving the base smooth before it goes into the machine.
What do I serve it with?
It is made for warm fruit desserts. A scoop melting over Apple Pies, peach cobbler, or a slice of Bread Pudding is hard to beat. It also turns a mug of hot coffee into an affogato.
Can I use pre-ground cinnamon only, with no sticks?
You can, but the flavor is flatter and can turn slightly gritty. If sticks are all you skip, bump the ground cinnamon up a little and let the base chill longer so the flavor settles in.
Can I add a mix-in?
Yes. Fold in chopped toasted pecans or crushed graham crackers once it hits soft-serve stage, just before the final freeze, so they stay crisp and spread evenly.
