Pumpkin Sherbet

I realize there have been a lot of dessert posts on here lately, but indulge me (or indulge yourself) with one more. Today is October 1st, a day I have been impatiently awaiting for quite awhile now. It's not that anything in particular is actually going to happen today--it's just that now that it's October, I officially feel like it's fall. (September temps in Phoenix are mostly still in the 100's, so now that it's under 100, I can pretend I live in a place where fall-ish things will start happening, like color-changing trees and sweaters and a chill in the air. It's a farce, but it's an enjoyable farce.) Anyway, if it's finally Fall™ I'm going to feel free to go out of my gourd.....that's right,

PUMPKIN CRAAAAAZZYYY! 

Let's take this opportunity for the following confession: in the last 24 hours alone, I made three pumpkin recipes: this pumpkin sorbet--an ideal choice for those of us still experiencing 90 degree weather--pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin snickerdoodles. (Hopefully I don't get any calls from my kids' schools from an alarmed nurse informing me my children have turned orange.) The slightly embarrassing thing about this is that I have been complaining to anyone who will listen lately about the Pumpkin Spice Juggernaut. You know what I'm talking about. If you live on planet Earth, you will have seen how Starbucks has been tooting its own pumpkin spice horn for like a month already...and then M & Ms got on board with its own version...and Hershey Kisses...and See's is making pumpkin spice lollipops. I'm telling you, it's 

PUMPKIN PANDEMONIUM!

But you know what? Why fight it? It's inevitable. Pumpkin is here to stay. And I'll proudly state that several of my family members hail from the Pumpkin Capitol of the U.S., Morton, Illinois. This pumpkin sherbet is a great way to spice up your pumpkin repertoire. (Get it?) It's a creamy, very pumpkin-y, lightened up alternative to pumpkin ice cream. 

Let's do this. It's ON, pumpkin. IT'S. ON. 

Pumpkin Sherbet

(Adapted from Skinnytaste)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. 2% milk

1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. sugar

1 c. canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

pinch cloves

pinch salt

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine milk, sugar, pumpkin, and heat over medium heat. Bring to a full boil while whisking, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for thirty seconds.

Remove from the heat, and add the vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove, and stir.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and chill in the refrigerator until cold, anywhere from 3 hours to overnight.  When chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes 2 3/4 cups.