Makes about 1 quart Our kitchen manager, Debby, came up with this ice cream. She’s big on inclusions (cookies and candies and other treats that are added to ice cream), and so she favors flavors that have lots of “stuff” in them. This re-creation of apple pie features cooked apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and a “crust” of cookies folded in at the end.

TECHNIQUE: Ice cream

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Ice cream machine

CHILLING TIME: 2 hours or overnight

SHELF LIFE: 1 week

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE APPLE

• ¼ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 medium apples (pippin, Granny Smith, or other firm, tart cooking apple), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

COOK THE APPLES

1. Combine the brown sugar and butter in a medium skillet and put the pan over medium heat.
2. When the butter is melted and bubbly, add the apples and cinnamon.
3. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool.

FOR THE BASE

• 5 large egg yolks
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1¾ cups heavy cream
• ¾ cup 1% or 2% milk
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped Snickerdoodles or sugar cookies (in pieces about ¼ inch)

MAKE THE BASE

1. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of the sugar (about 2½ tablespoons). Set aside.
2. In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, salt, and the remaining sugar and put the pan over medium-high heat.
3. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
4. Carefully scoop out about ½ cup of the hot cream mixture and, whisking the eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks.
5. Repeat, adding another ½ cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks.
6. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.
7. Cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, coats the back of a spatula, and holds a clear path when you run your finger across the spatula, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
8. Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Set the container into an ice-water bath, wash your spatula, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool.
9. Remove the container from the ice-water bath, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the base for at least 2 hours or overnight.

FREEZE THE ICECREAM

1. Combine the purée with the vanilla and half of the chilled base in a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth.
2. Combine the puréed mixture and the remaining base and freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. While the ice cream is churning, put the container you’ll use to store the ice cream into the freezer.
4. Add the chopped cookies in the last minute or so of churning, or fold them in by hand after transferring the ice cream to the chilled container.
5. Enjoy right away or, for a firmer ice cream, freeze for at least 4 hours.

SERVE IT WITH

• Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream, Brown Sugar Ice Cream with a Ginger-Caramel Swirl, or Salted Caramel Ice Cream
• A drizzle of Caramel Sauce