I’ve had a can of Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Ice Cream Starter sitting on my counter for…about a year now? Shortly after my friend Steven got me an ice cream maker (he’s the man…man), my Mom bought the starter for me as a fun little something to make during the fall. But time moved on, and I quickly forgot about it as it got buried behind other various kitchen debris.
But during a kitchen excavation last week, I found it again and made up my mind to cook up some ice cream. The timing worked out especially well because I had leftover egg yolks hangin’ around from some royal frosting (maybe you heard).
BOOYAH
The starter is super easy to use; all it calls for is 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups half-and-half, and one package of the starter, which includes all your sugar and spices. Toss that combination into your ice cream maker and BOOM – you’ve got ice cream. I spent a little time heating the mixture up and adding egg yolks for extra creaminess, but it was still a really simple dessert.
I really like the flavor, though it’s a bit rough with the cloves for my taste; it’s very in-your-face, like it’s yelling ‘HEY! I TASTE LIKE PUMPKIN!’ with every spoonful. Even so, it had a lovely creamy texture and a sweet, pumpkin-spiced flavor. It was a great treat to share with friends, but I couldn’t see myself eating it all on my own.
Makes 2 Quarts. Of Delicious.
Overall, if you have an ice cream maker and are used to making ice cream on your own, there’s really no reason to buy this. The starter itself is just a combination of sugar and pumpkin spice, which if you’ve been doing any baking at all this fall, you already have. The starter package makes it easier, of course, but is it worth whatever Williams-Sonoma wants you to pay? Probably not!
I would definitely recommend as a novelty gift for a friend, though, or someone who isn’t really a cook.
Mmmm.
Mary Gezo
Formerly of both n00bcakes and !Blog, the two magically become one on Spatialdrift; expect some lazy baking and serious nerditude. Also, I love semicolons.
Mmm, kitchen excavation. I know what that’s like… although when I unearth things in my kitchen, they often tend to be growing something nasty on them. Ick. I don’t often discover things so tasty and welcoming as ice cream starter.
Then again, I don’t have an ice cream machine. Booyah!
No ice cream machine?!? Mon dieu, you must have to buy ice cream at the store…like a NORMAL PERSON (and/or lazy person not unlike myself >.>)! *strikes dramatic pose* If you have any sort of craving for ice cream, I highly recommend one. It is so choice!
Whenever I make ice cream, I make custard ice cream that can just be frozen in the freezer! No churning necessary:)
That does limit me a bit though, and yes, I also love to buy ice cream at the store…. like a NORMAL PERSON!
I’ve wondered about those starters! I find Williams Sonoma to be wonderful and overpriced. Love looking through it, but try to find the stuff online for cheaper.
Mmmm pumpkin EBBERYTHING
Huh, I never knew there was such a thing! I like that you added egg yolks to it. Eggless ice cream always seems so wimpy.
Also, did you get a new camera recently? Your photos are looking so profesh!
@Emma – No churning?! LIES! I’ve actually never made ice cream with my maker before. I am intrigued! Also, we call you “normies.”
@Stephanie – Haha, I think “wonderful and overpriced” is the exact definition of Williams-Sonoma. 🙂 PUMPKIIIIIIN.
@Jessica – Haha, wimpy is right! I understand the starter’s *supposed* to make it easy, but I felt weird just dumping everything into the mixer and saying “PRESTO, ice cream!” It felt wrong not to have yolks in it.
Also yes, I did! Thank you for noticing. I’m very excited to finally have invested in a worth-while camera. 😀
Hooray! May I ask what kind? I’ve been thinking about upgrading, but haven’t really gotten past the “thinking about” part.
Well, the one I got is actually an older (~2008?), gently-used model from a friend who no longer needed hers. It’s an 8mpx Canon Rebel DS126071, to be specific, and I also bought her EF-S 60mm macro lens, which BLEW MY MIND as to how macro-y it is.
My friend knows what she’s talking about when it comes to cameras, so when she announced she was selling hers, I jumped on it knowing that whatever she had would be good quality. So far I’ve been very happy with it, and since I’m not doing anything professional, any shortcomings it may have are either irrelevant, or I’m completely unaware of.
Now I’m just trying to learn to use it correctly and figure out some better lighting arrangements for my apartment. 🙂
Thanks for the info! I had actually been thinking of a Rebel since I keep hearing that they’re a good bridge between point and shoots and SLRs, and a lot of people have and seem happy with them. Awesome that you were able to buy your friends!
Lighting is always a challenge…
And related to your original post, you’ve probably seen this, but it needs to go here: http://deadspin.com/5959212/the-haters-guide-to-the-williams+sonoma-catalog <3