-
In a medium size bowl, whisk egg yolks to break them up, then whisk in the cinnamon, ginger and half of the brown sugar. Set aside.
-
In a heavy saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, salt, and the remaining sugar and put pan over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
-
Carefully scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture and, whisking eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks. using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl int the pan.
-
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.
-
Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap leaving a small space for the steam to escape. Place in refrigerator and stir every 10 minutes until completely cool. Cover completely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
-
When ready to freeze, whisk the vanilla and pumpkin puree into the chilled base.
-
Freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, put the container you'll use to store the ice cream into the freezer. Just a few minutes before ice cream has set add the chocolate and cookie chunks. Churn long enough to blend in. Enjoy right away or, for a firmer ice cream, transfer to chilled container and freeze for at least 4 hours.
-
Makes 8 1/2 cup servings or 1 heaping quart