I don't have the time to get on the forums much anymore. But with a small lull in the brewpub project, I have been checking in with the brewing forum, and figured I'd pop in here to share a few of my current favorite recipes that I have been developing. I have an ice cream machine, and this is my signature flavor.
Salty Pistachio Ice Cream
This is my flagship ice cream recipe, the salty sweet can't be beat!
Note: I make this ice cream smooth, I do not have any nuts in the ice cream, they are used entirely in the making of the cream mix before it's frozen, and filtered out prior to freezing. This ice cream presents with a rich, smooth texture because of that.
This recipe should make about a quart of ice cream. Although most ice cream recipes call for a pinch of salt, no additional salt is necessary as the pistachios themselves are heavily salted.
Ingredients:
2.5 cups whole milk
1 whole vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
2.25 cups whole roasted & salted (shelled) pistachios (one whole bag is slightly less than this, and I usually just use one whole bag instead)
2 cup heavy cream
6 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp almond extract
Steps:
1. In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, stir together the milk, vanilla bean seeds & parts (including the pod), half of the sugar (1/3 cup) and all the pistachios. Bring the mixture just to a boil, or just shy of a boil. Remove from the heat; let the mixture steep (covered) for 2 hours. After steeping, add the cream and gradually return the mixture just to a boil over medium-low heat.
2. While the milk/pistachio/cream mixture is reheating, combine the yolks and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. Using a whisk, beat until the mixture is pale and thick.
3. Once the milk/pistachio/cream mixture has come to a slight boil, whisk about 1/3 of the hot mixture into the yolk/sugar mixture. Add another 1/3 of the mixture, whisk to combine, then return the combined mixture to the saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly over low heat until it thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. This mixture must NOT boil or the yolks will overcook -- the process should only take a few minutes, no more than 10. Watch the mixture closely and remove from the heat if you are getting dangerously close to boiling it.
4. Stir in the almond extract and pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (discard the vanilla pods and pistachios); optionally bring to room temperature or just stick it in the fridge.
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Freeze in the ice cream maker the next day about 20-30 minutes prior to serving (for soft serve ice cream).
7. Serve fresh ice cream right out of the ice cream machine for soft serve texture. Put frozen ice cream into a sealable container in the freezer to harden for standard ice cream texture.
Storage:
When you store the ice cream in the freezer, you'll want to use something like a plastic container with rubber lid, so it can expand without breaking. A crucial point when it comes to storage is placing a sheet of wax paper on top of the ice cream and pressing out the air. This reduces the exposure to air on the surface and keeps the ice cream from getting that film that forms; and it helps slow the acquisition of odors from the freezer. I tear a big sheet of wax paper, and press it down on the top of the ice cream immediately after filling the container from the ice cream mixer. This forms the block in container, and the sheet is long enough that it actually runs up the sides of the container and out of the lid. It doesn't seem to impact the seal with the container I use, but be sure to check yours.
You want to move quickly when transferring the frozen ice cream from the mixer to the storage container, covering and putting it in the freezer. The longer it takes, the more the ice cream will melt. This melt will refreeze with larger ice crystals, degrading the smooth texture you've worked so hard to create with the agitated freezing process.
Then, every time you take a serving, be sure to press the wax paper back down to cover the entire surface again, covering that space left by the scoops you removed. While you do want to let ice cream warm up before serving, as this improves texture and flavor, you want to avoid unnecessarily letting the rest of the ice cream melt, or melt excessively if it is going back into storage. For the same reason as above... With each refreeze the ice crystals grow in size and that fine smooth texture gradually gives way to a coarser icier texture.
Enjoy! And let me know if you make this recipe. I'd love to hear feedback from anyone that tries it. Take note of the first word in the recipe's name: this is a salty dessert. Not everyone loves the idea of salty desserts, but I've had zero complaints from anyone I've served this ice cream. My girlfriend loves it so much I have made it my signature flavor. Pistachio is my favorite flavor of ice cream, and she loves the salty sweetness that this recipe delivers.
