Need more pumpkin spice in your life? Try this sherbet recipe

I hit on trying pumpkin in sherbet, using a recipe I tested with peaches last summer. (Find that post here.)

It's an easy technique that combines sweetened buttermilk that is frozen and blended with the frozen fruit.

Using fresh pumpkin requires one more step, however: Cooking the pumpkin. (Peaches can be eaten raw but I've yet to find any recipe that uses raw pumpkin.)

The easiest way to do that with a small pumpkin is to halve it, remove the seeds and cut it into pieces, then steam them.

I chose to cut the steamed pumpkin into smaller pieces after removing the skin, then freezing the pieces, just as I had the peaches. But another method would be to puree the cooked pumpkin pieces first, then freeze the puree in a 9-by-13-inch pan, similar to how the buttermilk is frozen.

The pumpkin puree can then be chopped just as the buttermilk is before it's all blended togather.

Note: This also is the method I'd recommend if you took the shortcut of using canned pumpkin puree, a valid choice. (You'd need about 20 ounces canned pumpkin puree.)

I added a selection of fall spices, but use all cinnamon if you like, or a premade "pumpkin spice" blend. Cold diminishes spice, so taste and add more if needed after blending. There also is more vanilla in this version than the peach one because pumpkin definitely needs a boost in the flavor department.

Pumpkin spice sherbet

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk, either low fat or "old-fashioned" (full fat)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or a mix of pumpkin spices (cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice plus cinnamon), plus more to taste

1 sugar pie pumpkin, about 2 pounds

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or pumpkin butter, divided

Garnish (optional): Whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, brown sugar and spices. Allow it to sit for several minutes for the sugar ro dissolve and the spices to

infuse the liquid.

Meanwhile, wash and dry the pumpkin, then cut out the stem and cut the pumpkin in half. Depending on the size and shape, you may need to cut it into quarters to reach the seeds easily.

Using a large metal spoon or a melon ball tool, scrape the seeds and the gunk out of the pumpkin pieces. (Save the seeds for toasting if desired.) Cut the pumpkin pieces into 2-inch chunks. You should have at least 3 cups of pieces.

Prepare a steamer basket in a 4-quart or similar size pot, add water almost to the base of the steamer basket, then fill the basket with the pumpkin chunks. Cover and steam over medium high heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

While the pumpkin is cooking, prepare the milk mixture for freezing: Line a loaf pan with two pieces of foil or plastic wrap, one going each direction. (I used one foil piece, one plastic wrap piece.) Stir the milk mixture so it's well blended, then pour it into the pan. Cover and place in freezer.

Now, remove the cooked pumpkin chunks to a cutting board and allow them to cool. Prepare a flat baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper. When the pumpkin chunks are cool enough to handle, trim the skin off the pieces, then slice them into smaller pieces about 1/2-inch thick. Place the pieces on the parchment, and place the pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

When ready to mix and serve the sherbet, remove the pan of pumpkin from the freezer to allow the pieces to soften slightly.

Next, pull out the pan with the frozen buttermilk mix, and flip the loaf pan onto a clean cutting board. Remove the pan and the foil and/or plastic wrap. Using a large knife, cut the frozen buttermilk into 1-inch blocks.

Into the bowl of a food processor, pour the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup or pumpkin butter. Then add the pumpkin pieces and the buttermilk chunks. Pour the last 1 tablespoon of syrup or pumpkin butter over the chunks. Cover and blend, using pulses at first, then constant blending.

Note: If the mixture gets too cold and starts seizing up, add a bit more liquid (syrup, buttermilk or even water)  to get the mixture moving again. Keep blending, scraping the bowl down as needed, until the sherbet is smooth. Taste and add more spices if desired.

Serve immediately. Garnish if desired.

Leftovers can be frozen in a tightly covered container, but will need to soften somewhat before serving.