Over Father's Day lunch last month, my sister-in-law Erin mentioned that she'd recently made ginger ice cream. She then asked me what ice creams I'd made so far this summer and I was ashamed to admit I had yet to break out my ice cream maker. It had been too long of a hiatus since my Cinnamon French Toast Ice Cream and I was determined to fix that.

Of course, then I couldn't get the thought of ginger ice cream out of my head. I picked up a large hunk of ginger from the grocery store the very next day and got to work on this unique ice cream. Of all the ice cream flavors I've sampled (and it's a lot), ginger was a new-to-me flavor.
I'm so glad I couldn't get this out of my head because the results were fantastic. My brother-in-law Justin mentioned that ginger ice cream isn't something you can binge on and he's definitely right...which in my case is probably a good thing. It's spicy, with that telltale ginger taste, leaving you satisfied with a moderate portion. I actually think this ice cream would be the perfect accompaniment to this Southern Comfort Apple Pie, or sandwiched between gingersnaps, or in a root beer float! Then again, it's also great as-is, served as a light dessert to finish off a dinner party.

One Year Ago: Banana Coffee Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Two Years Ago: Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Three Years Ago: Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Ginger Ice Cream
from epicurious

Ingredients:
-4 large egg yolks
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/4 cup coarsely grated peeled fresh ginger
-2 tbsp water
-2 cups half and half (I used 2% milk)
-1 cup heavy cream
-1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl and set aside. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan, add sugar, ginger, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add half and half and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the hot half and half mixture to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture back to the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170F (do not allow to boil).
3. Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in cream and vanilla. Cover and chill overnight. Freeze custard in an ice cream maker, according to instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer.