Name: The Best Pistachio Ice Cream
Prep time: 1 h 45 min
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3/4 Cup plus 1/2 cup shelled pistachios; 2 Tbsp. Light corn syrup; 1 Cup half and half; 1/2 Cup sugar; 1/2 Tsp. Pure vanilla extract; 1/4 Tsp. Pure almond extract; 1/4 Tsp. Kosher salt; 1 Cup heavy cream; Chopped pistachios for serving (optional)

YIELDS:

4 servings

PREP TIME:

8 hours 25 mins

COOK TIME:

0 hours 5 mins

TOTAL TIME:

1 hours 50 mins

ingredients

3/4 Cup plus 1/2 cup shelled pistachios

2 Tbsp. Light corn syrup

1 Cup half and half

1/2 Cup sugar

1/2 Tsp. Pure vanilla extract

1/4 Tsp. Pure almond extract

1/4 Tsp. Kosher salt

1 Cup heavy cream

Chopped pistachios for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place 3/4 Cup of the pistachios and the corn syrup in a food processor and mix for 2 minutes until completely combined and you have a smooth paste.

2. Heat the half and half until simmering in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and while the food processor is still running, slowly pour the hot liquid into the feed tube of your food processor. Process until the nut mixture is completely incorporated into the half and half.

3. Strain the nut mixture through a fine strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl. Allow to cool for about five minutes.

4. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts, salt and the heavy cream. Refrigerate overnight.

5. Stir the chilled mixture then add to your ice cream maker. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of whole pistachios about half way through the mixing process.

6. When the ice cream is done, you may eat right away (it will be soft) or hard freeze in freezer safe containers and serve when ready. Top with additional chopped pistachios for even more crunch. Enjoy.

NOTES: Everyone has a favorite ice cream flavor (or two, or three). Pistachio has long been one of my all time favorites and started when I was a kid. It was my dad’s favorite so of course, it was mine.

Ice cream isn’t hard to make as long as you have an ice cream maker. I’ve had a few over the years and they always come get a pretty good work out in the summer and around the holidays. Definitely worth the investment… or at least get it on your Christmas list. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

You’ll note when you make the ice cream that you aren’t going to get that weird green color most store bought pistachio ice creams have. Depending on the color of your nuts, your ice cream will range from white to a pretty pale green. There is nothing wrong with the ice cream… taste it and you’ll know right away that it is Pistachio. I do have a friend that adds a drop of food coloring to get that “green” color… her kids love it! Everyone to their own.

While I let my cream chill overnight, you can turn this into ice cream after 4 hours when it is very, very cold. While I love it soft and smooth and just made, I store this in plastic containers in the fridge so I have it whenever I have a craving.

One last tip, I served this ice cream at a family BBQ. I made it weeks in advance and put the ice cream in single serve, plastic containers and froze it. On the day of the BBQ, I packed it with dry ice in a cooler. Talk about the most unexpected treat! My family went nuts… after a day in the sun and a hot BBQ meal, this was the perfect treat. Enjoy.

Be sure to check out my no-churn vanilla ice cream and my blender berry sorbet recipes if you don’t happen to have an ice cream maker.