Homemade Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream

I created this recipe before the world kinda blew up with all of the COVID-19 issues, and my initial intention was to ease into the warm months and get us thinking about some fun cool treats for Spring and Summer.  Now? I think we could all use a little extra comfort in our lives, and since most of us are holed up at home, a batch of homemade cinnamon roll ice cream might hit the spot.

How To Make Homemade Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream?
This ice cream recipe uses my favorite ratios for an egg yolk custard ice cream base - 5 yolks to 2 cups of dairy.  It creates a luscious creamy ice cream with a robust flavor that lends so well to pretty much any flavor you can dream up.  I steeped real cinnamon sticks in heated milk and cream before making the custard, and later, while the ice cream churns, I dropped in chunks of baked and iced cinnamon rolls.

What Substitutions Can I Use?
If you don't have real cinnamon sticks, you can use 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon stirred into the warm milk/cream mixture - just skip the steeping step.  You can also use 2 cups of half-and-half in place of the milk and cream.  For a twist on flavor, you can use orange cinnamon rolls or pumpkin cinnamon rolls for a little extra kick - yum!

What Kind of Container to Use to Freeze Ice Cream?
I use this insulated ice cream container and I'm about to buy a couple more.  The narrow style fits nicely in my freezer and the ice cream's texture is preserved.  If you choose to use a Tupperware or Rubbermaid type storage container, make sure that it is labeled as being freezer safe, as such containers can become brittle and break when frozen - ask me how I know.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream

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• Author: Erin Browne
• Yield: About 1 quart 1x

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Ingredients

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• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large (6-7 inch) cinnamon sticks, or 3-4 shorter ones
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1 can cinnamon rolls - prepared, iced, and cooled (8 rolls), divided.

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Instructions

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the cream and milk and heat until steaming and a slight "skin" begins to form on the top. Don't allow to boil.
2. Remove from heat, add the cinnamon sticks, and cover with a lid. Allow to steep for 45 minutes.
3. Near the end of that time, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl. Remove the cinnamon sticks and place the saucepan over medium heat.
4. Once cream has heated a bit, temper the eggs by adding ⅓ cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs and sugar, stirring constantly, and then stir the eggs into the heated cream, whisking until fully combined.
5. Heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and mixture coats the back of the spoon (using a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 170F)
6. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, and allow to cool on the counter for about 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing the plastic to make contact with the top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
7. Chill custard in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
8. Chop prepared cinnamon rolls into small pieces. Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker for starting a batch of ice cream. About 5-10 minutes into the churning process, slowly drop about half of the cinnamon roll pieces into the ice cream.
9. Transfer ice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze until hardened. Serve topped with the extra pieces of cinnamon roll.

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