Roasted Pistachio Ice Cream

Pistachios are my family's favorite nut. Without a doubt, we always go for it over VA peanuts, cashews, pecans…you name it. Whenever I visit my parents in Boston my mother and I ALWAYS make it our mission to visit Eataly (always such a treat and so fun). The last time we went, we enjoyed a spring pea and mint pasta which was to die for...I even bought some to bring all the way home and proceeded to leave it in my parents' freezer. Luckily they came down a couple weeks later and brought my $20 pasta that "I just had to have" (I know, we are nuts). If you haven't been to Eataly in Boston, make it one of your stops. It's wonderful, all the hanging cured meats, the gelato section and the restaurants (we could not have been happier). Before we left I spotted a section of jams and pastes, and besides getting overly excited about seeing the chestnut spread, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the pistachio paste. I was a little too excited to find this and proceeded to pay $15 for a jar the size of a Coleman's container. 

After a wonderful trip of eating and taking "field trips" to the local creameries and neighboring towns, I sadly left, but had my pistachio jar that I couldn't wait to use. Well, I got to Logan Airport and TSA tried to take it away from me. I pleaded with the TSA agent and he stared at me like I was cuckoo (ya, I'm aware), but finally let me take it on board and proceeded to ask if we have pistachios in D.C. I was not amused. Anyway, I made it home with my precious little jar and had the paste on a croissant the next morning; and per usual I had hyped up the paste in my mind. While very good, I don't know what I was expecting. My grandfather always told us you eat better at home (and no kidding I had a French grandmother who was a phenomenal cook and my mother, the same). I also kicked myself for buying a jar that I could have made myself so I set out to make my own pistachio paste and it's SO EASY. This turned into a pistachio ice cream that I'm incredibly happy about and hope you are as well. This is for all the pistachio lovers out there. Cheers!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup raw pistachios

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp almond extract

4 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt or fleur de sel

optional: 1 tbsp bourbon or amaretto

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On a lined cookie sheet, spread out pistachios and roast for 5 minutes

2. Take 1 cup of the roasted pistachios and add to food processor. Pulse until finely ground

3. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, add the finely ground pistachios, almond extract, milk and 1 cup of heavy cream. Mix until sugar has dissolved and remove from heat. Let sit for 30 minutes

4. Strain mixture into a separate bowl and add back to saucepan.  Take the strained pistachios and add back to food processor. Blend until the pistachios have become a paste

5. Return saucepan to low heat and in a separate bowl whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour some of the warmed mixture into the yolks and whisk 

6. Pour yolk mixture back into saucepan and heat custard until it becomes thick and reaches 165-170 degrees Fahrenheit 

7. Strain custard mixture into remaining heavy cream, add pistachio paste and let cool in the freezer for 1 hour

8. Once pistachio custard has cooled, add to ice cream maker and freeze following manufacturer's instructions. Once mixture starts to become solid add in chopped pistachios and amaretto