Don’t Judge Me Mondays: Hard Cider a la Mode
Is it just me or does it seem like the school year starts earlier every year? I don’t have kids, so it doesn’t really impact me that much, but it just marks the end of the summer season. I have mixed feelings about this. I love the carefree feeling of wearing sandals and skirts that summer has, but I’ll confess I am ready for fall. I’ll be glad to have an excuse to hunker down with some hot cocoa and a good book on the couch under some blankets. Right now it’s still too dang hot for that! Today I am sharing a cocktail that bridges the two seasons. When I went to Lake Chelan for a girls weekend back in June my friends suggested I make a boozy float and share it here. I took that idea and added some fall flavors to the mix! For those of you having Labor Day cookouts/BBQs/picnics this would be a fun thing to serve that doubles as dessert and a cocktail.
Let’s get to it!
I started by making cinnamon ice cream. I’ll walk you through the steps to make this, but if you don’t have time there’s a shortcut. Take a half gallon of vanilla ice cream and leave it out to soften for ten minutes. Add two teaspoons of ground cinnamon and mix it in. Put it back in the freezer to harden up. Put your pint glass in the freezer right now also.
Ok, back to the ice cream! Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until it’s pale yellow.
Now put the milk and ground cinnamon in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble.
You’ll temper the eggs by slowly whisking in about half of the milk into the egg and sugar mixture. Once it’s whisked in, pour that whole mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the hot milk.
Put it back on the stove over medium heat and cook for another four or so minutes until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a rubber spatula.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a heat and freezer-safe bowl.
Now mix in the heavy cream.
Cover the mixture and put in the fridge for about two hours until it’s chilled.
Once it’s cooled, follow your ice cream maker’s instructions to churn it. Put the churned ice cream back in the freezer to solidify for about two hours.
Put your glass in the freezer at the same time.
Ok, now it’s time to put the float together! Take your chilled glass and ice cream out of the freezer. Pour about six ounces of the hard cider into your chilled pint glass. I recommend a cider that does’t have too many other flavorings. When I bought some at the store I was amazed to see all the kinds available out there, everything from cinnamon to citrus. Since the ice cream is already cinnamon-flavored we don’t want add another dominant flavor to the party.
Now scoop your ice cream into the glass and top off slowly with the rest of the cider.
This float really is the perfect mix of summer and fall! The cold hard cider with the frozen ice cream is perfect for a hot summer day but the cinnamon ice cream and apple flavor will remind you that fall is just around the corner.
Enjoy!
What are you looking forward to in the Fall?
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Ingredients
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup cinnamon ice cream
- 12 ounces hard cider
Instructions
- If not making the cinnamon ice cream from scratch: Take a half gallon of vanilla ice cream and leave it out to soften for ten minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and mix it in. Put it back in the freezer to harden up. Put your pint glass in the freezer right now also.
- To make ice cream cinnamon ice cream from scratch: Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale yellow. Put the milk and ground cinnamon in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble.
- Take off the heat and whisk in about half into the egg and sugar mixture. Pour that whole mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the hot milk. Cook for another 4 or so minutes until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a rubber spatula.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a heat and freezer-safe bowl. Mix in the heavy cream, cover and put in the fridge for about two hours, or until it's chilled.
- Once it's cooled, follow your ice cream maker's instructions to churn it. Put the churned ice cream back in the freezer to solidify for about two hours. Put your glass in the freezer at the same time.
- Take chilled glass and ice cream out of the freezer.
- Pour about 6 ounces of the hard cider into chilled pint glass.
- Scoop ice cream into the glass and top off slowly with the rest of the cider.