Sweet Potato Ice Cream

I know that the concept of sweet potato ice cream sounds kind of weird, but trust me - this is good stuff.  I absolutely love sweet potatoes, and while I typically eat them in more savory fashions, I am also a fan of sweet potato pie.  Which is basically what this ice cream tastes like.  Fresh sweet potatoes, pureed with milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and I added a little bourbon to the mix - as far as I'm concerned very few things are made worse by the addition of bourbon.

I think this ice cream would make a great addition to a Thanksgiving dessert buffet:  Serve a scoop with sweet potato pie for a double whammy, or on top of a cinnamon cake for something a little out of the norm.  You could even use it to make an ice cream cake if you're feeling really adventurous.

The original recipe calls for maple-glazed pecans to be mixed into the ice cream during the churning step, but I had other plans for this that required a smooth ice cream.  And what I did - well I'm sharing it tomorrow, but rest assured it was something evil and genius.  I'll give you a hint:  toasted marshmallow was involved. 

Sweet Potato Ice Cream
adapted from David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop
makes about 1 quart

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbs whole milk
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp bourbon or whiskey
• pinch of salt

Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes.  Place in a medium saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes, or until tender when poked with a sharp knife.  Drain the sweet potatoes and cool to room temperature.

In a blender, add the cooled potatoes, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, bourbon, and salt.  Puree until very smooth, at least 30 seconds.  Press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for several hours in the refrigerator.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Transfer to a container and freeze for several hours before serving.