Pumpkin makes me think of autumn, simple as that. Overflowing bins of carving pumpkins just crying out to become jack-o-lanterns. Costumes and candy and festive parties and crazy decorations. The promise of Pumpkin Pie at rapidly approaching holiday dinners.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, no matter how long I live in Australia I still associate end of year holidays with cold weather — and Halloween falls firmly in this category.
People in many parts of the world don’t understand sweet pumpkin desserts. They turn their noses up, opting instead for apple or chocolate or lemon, having no idea what they are missing out on. Growing up if you had asked me if we ever ate pumpkin in anything other than pie I would have said no, but that’s not quite true…
Mom used to make baked Acorn Squash for dinner quite often and each Thanksgiving and Christmas would see mashed Butternut Squash on the table next to the sweet potatoes and stuffing. But we called those things ‘squash’ not ‘pumpkin’ and — while they were served with the savoury portion of the meal — they still had brown sugar mixed in or sprinkled over top giving them a distinctively sweet kick
Up until relatively recently America-land didn’t embrace pumpkin in savoury dishes — and the rest of the world didn’t really embrace it in sweet dishes — but thanks to Pinterest and the ever increasing availability of digital versions of cooking magazines the lines are starting to blur. To someone as mad about pumpkin as I, this is not a bad thing!
But let’s get back to Halloween for a moment and the fact that in Sydney the temperatures are hovering around the 80’s and 90’s, reminding me that summer is fast approaching.
The temperature is good news for people who use Halloween as an excuse to dress up as some variation of sexy nurse-doctor-super hero-watermelon-cat-bunny-miley cyrus wtf but is also a firm reminder that I should not be turning on the oven for anything remotely Halloween related.
So what to do about my–never–ending–Pumpkin–Pie–craving and what to make for the Halloween themed October Sweet Adventures Blog Hop I’m hosting? Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream all dressed up for a festive Halloween party, that’s what.
You’ll find the instructions on how to add your #SABH post below the recipes. Have a very Happy Halloween and don’t forget to check out all the other ghoulish Halloween creations that have been linked up!
Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
You’d be forgiven for wanting to stop at the custard stage of this recipe and simply eat the entire bowl with a spoon but I urge you to persevere and make it into ice cream — what you do after that point is entirely up to you! Spoon it into a bowl and top with whipped coconut cream, make it into Halloween Ice Cream Bars or even spread it into a pre-baked or raw pie crust and make a Vegan Ice Cream Pumpkin Pie — the genius never ceases I tell you.
Makes 1 litre (1 quart)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 c coconut cream
- 1 c almond or other non-dairy milk
- 1/4 – 1/2 c rice syrup, honey (not vegan) or coconut sugar to taste
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp each cloves, nutmeg, allspice)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp cornflour (corn starch) dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water
- 2 c roasted pumpkin puree
- 1 Tbsp bourbon, optional
METHOD
Over medium heat warm coconut cream, almond milk, sweetener and spices in a large heavy-based sauce pan until just simmering.
Drizzle in cornflour/water mixture, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Quickly whisk in pumpkin puree and cook, still whisking, for 3 mins until thick and bubbly.
Scrape into a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate until cold. Stir bourbon into cold custard if using and churn according to ice cream maker instructions.
Move into a container to freeze, eat as is or follow instructions below to make Halloween Ice Cream Bars.
COOK’S NOTES
- If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze cooled custard in a shallow dish, stirring every 30 mins until thick and frozen. You can use an immersion blender or processor to make it really smooth once frozen.
- The bourbon (or any alcohol really) will lower the freezing temp of the ice cream, making it easier to scoop but isn’t necessary. Just leave the container out on the bench for 10 mins or so before serving.
vegan // gluten-free // dairy-free // soy-free // refined sugar-free
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Pumpkin & Chocolate Halloween Ice Cream Bars
Who needs cookies when you can have Halloween shaped Ice Cream Bars? You could do this with any shape and for any occasion but it’s almost Halloween so that’s what I’m sticking with! Make sure to mash the off-cuts into a container and freeze for sneaky spoonfuls later on.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 batch Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
- 1 or 2 batches Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
- 1 batch Vegan Chocolate Magic Shell
- 1 batch Vegan Green Goo Magic Shell
METHOD
Use an off-set spatula to spread soft, just-churned, ice cream into a shallow baking paper (parchment) lined tray. Ice cream should be minimum 1.5 cm (.75 in) thick. Freeze a few hours or overnight until firm.
Let trays sit out for 5 – 10 mins to just soften then use large Halloween shaped cookie cutters
Dip or drizzle with Chocolate or Green Goo Magic Shell, covering completely with a thin layer or just making a decorative pattern, and return to freezer until ready to serve.
Have a Happy Halloween!
vegan // gluten-free // dairy-free // soy-free // refined sugar-free
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Sweet Adventures Blog Hop: How to link-up
The October Halloween theme hop is open for linkup until 11:59 pm, Friday 25 October [AEST Sydney time].
- Add a link to this post somewhere in your post – You won’t be able to link up in the hop without a ‘backlink’ to this hostess post included in your post.
- Click here for the Thumbnail List code – Copy the code and add it to the bottom of your post in HTML view.
- Click here to Enter the Hop – Make sure to do this step so you appear in the list too! Add the link to your SABH post (NOT your homepage). Your entry will be submitted when you click ‘crop’ on your photo.
If you have a question or aren’t sure of something don’t hesitate to ask. For more information detailed instructions can be found here.
Remember, SABH is open to all food bloggers but only new posts published after the hop goes live can be linked up.
SABH is brought to you by 84th & 3rd and monthly Guest Hostesses. Follow on Twitter: @SweetAdvBlogHop and Facebook: /SweetAdventuresBlogHop for new hop announcements and general deliciousness. Thanks for joining SABH!
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JJ I can’t wait to have a go of this ice-cream. You could hardly call it naughty it’s more like a health treat. I’ll admit, I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner last year and made pumpkin pie for the first time expecting it to be awful. One bite and I was hooked. Now I love sweet pumpkin treats!
haha my thoughts exactly ;D Fabulous that you’re a convert!
That is so cool JJ! I’ve made pumpkin ice cream before and it’s really good. Yours though looks much better this way! Pumpkin Madness 🙂
Thanks Marty!
Brilliant! Perfect for a hot day like today. I don’t have an ice cream maker so the notes are great.
I made ice cream for years without one but do adore mine just a bit now that I have it ;D
Wow now that is a work of art. Looks fabulous and I am sure tastes delicious too.
Thanks! It was fun to just fling the magic shell around
Fab! They’re so pretty but yes, pumpkin is mainly savoury in my world!
I’ll convert you yet Nic!
These are complete genius! Absolutely love the flavours and as for the creativity…love love love!
aww thanks!
now that winter is well and truly over, roasted pumpkin can take a backseat! pumpkin ice cream all the way!
Ice cream always wins doesn’t it?!
These are so incredibly creative!
Such a fun and festive idea!
How beautiful are these?. They would make such a spectacular dessert for a party
Cheers Tanya, I’m already thinking up all sorts of ways I can make other colours of shell!
I am also crazy about all things pumpkin – this recipe is a nice chilly addition to the plethora of warm-pumpkin dishes out there!
I don’t think I’ve ever tried pumpkin ice cream but I like the sound (and look) of it very much. The magic shell recipes are great! I find the shop bought stuff way too rich and way too sweet. Thanks for hosting a fun hop!
Looks great! I love the magic shell!!
these are so cool, love the magic shell, need to work on a choc peanut butter version…
They are just so cute. I get pumpkin as a dessert. Believe it or not, this Aussie girl was taught to make pumpkin pie at the age of 7 by her aunt. I thought she rocked big time 🙂