Pistachio Gelato

 

one word AMAZING

I promised for weeks to make pistachio ice cream, but I dragged my heels and heard daily complaints, "you promised...you're never going to make it...I opened all the pastachio's for you..."  AHHHH fine, I'll make it.  Luckly I picked up a plethora of books from the library including The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto by F.W. Pearce & Danilo Zecchin because on can never peruse, skim, enjoy or own too many cookbooks.  Unfortunately for them, they would have to wait 12 hours for the base to develop.

 

Plain Base for Gelato

from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto

F.W. Pearce & Danilo Zecchin

makes about 1 quart 

2 cups organic whole milk
1 cup organic heavy cream
4 large organic egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar

~ in a heavy bottom sauce pan combine milk and cream
~ place over medium-low heat
~ stir occasionally until temperature reaches 170 degrees  and tiny bubbles start to form
~ meanwhile put egg yolks in a round medium size pyrex and whisk until smooth
~ add sugar to yolks and whisk until thick and pale
~ IMPORTANT PART
~ temper your egg yolks by taking about 1/2 cup of hot milk/cream mixture and slowly pour into yolks while whisking yolks...keep it moving or you will end up with scrambled eggs
~ continue adding about 1/2 cup at a time slowly until you have added about 1 1/2 to 2 cups
~ pour egg mixture into remaining milk/cream mixture in pan
~ cook over low heat stirring frequently until mixture reaches 185 degrees (do not boil)
~ pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer back into pyrex
~ cool and place in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight

Turning it into pistachio gelato

 

Love this little Vivalp processor.  I wish I had another.  I think it is on it's last leg.

Pistachio Gelato

from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto

F.W. Pearce & Danilo Zecchin

adapted

1/2 of plain base

1/2 cup shelled dry roasted unsalted pistachios

1/8t vanilla extract

1/2 cup shelled dry roasted unsalted pistachios

~ toast pistachios in small cast iron skillet until slightly browned
~ cool
~ grind 1/2 cup in coffee grinder or mini food processor
~ blend ground pistachios and cream base in blender until smooth
~ pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to ice cream makers instructions
~ about 5 minutes before complete add whole pistachios

enjoy the pure flavor explosion