Pistachio Nut Ice Cream
By on February 17, 2010 7:40 PM
I was thrilled when I eventually stumbled across Anissa Helou's recipe for pistachio nut ice cream, because her recipe is one of the few that doesn't use almond essence. I have no idea why people insist on adding almond essence to pistachio ice cream, because in my opinion the sickly, synthetic almond flavour overwhelms the delicate flavour of the ice cream.
Anissa wisely uses rose water to subtly flavour the pistachio nut ice cream, which in turn gives it that authentic Middle Eastern edge. The only liberty I took was to add the faintest hint of green food colouring, so to make the pistachio nut ice cream all the more appealing to my incredibly fussy eight-year-old son.
I'm happy to report that he loved it!
In fact, he inhaled it!
Pistachio Nut Ice Cream
Adapted from Mediterranean Street Food
Ingredients
1 cup of raw pistachio nuts, shelled
250g crème fraîche
500ml full fat organic milk
¾ cup raw caster sugar
2-3 tbsp rose water
Faintest hint of green food colouring
Method
1. Put the milk and sugar in a saucepan and over a medium heat slowly bring it to the boil. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.
2. Place the pistachios in a food processor and process until ground to medium fine. Add the ground nuts, crème fraîche and rose water to the milk and whisk it thoroughly until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
3. Put the mixture in your ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturers instructions.
Anissa wisely uses rose water to subtly flavour the pistachio nut ice cream, which in turn gives it that authentic Middle Eastern edge. The only liberty I took was to add the faintest hint of green food colouring, so to make the pistachio nut ice cream all the more appealing to my incredibly fussy eight-year-old son.
I'm happy to report that he loved it!
In fact, he inhaled it!
Pistachio Nut Ice Cream
Adapted from Mediterranean Street Food
Ingredients
1 cup of raw pistachio nuts, shelled
250g crème fraîche
500ml full fat organic milk
¾ cup raw caster sugar
2-3 tbsp rose water
Faintest hint of green food colouring
Method
1. Put the milk and sugar in a saucepan and over a medium heat slowly bring it to the boil. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.
2. Place the pistachios in a food processor and process until ground to medium fine. Add the ground nuts, crème fraîche and rose water to the milk and whisk it thoroughly until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
3. Put the mixture in your ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturers instructions.
Permalink
looks yummy!
Yum!! I love the color! Will try this out soon before summer ends ;)
Here it's no time for ice cream (too cold!), but it's still very attractive. :)
(sorry for my english :P )
What excellent timing! I was only looking through the pantry today and wondering what to do with the excess pistachios from Christmas. My husband is already salivating!!
Oh Yum! There are so many flavours of ice cream that I would love to make this summer and this is one of them.
WOW - I need to purchase an ice cream maker - but I don't think I'll get look back when I get one. Your ice cream looks amazing!
Even though I'm not the biggest rose water fan, I can imagine it goes well with pistachio and that looks like perfection!
Pistachio is my favorite ice cream flavor!
Thanks for posting this!
Oh yummy! You made my the top of the list of all time favourites ice cream!! I'm salivating right now. :)
i LOVE pistachio ice cream and would be inhaling too. looks wonderful!
I have come to like rose and orange blossom water, the combination with pistachios sounds especially aromatic.
I vote you ice cream queen!
I've heard that you get the wonderful green colour if you skin (not just shell) the pistachios. It seems like a lot of work, though, so I'm not sure I want to try it if it doesn't make a difference. Does anybody know?
Anissa suggests that you should peel the pistachios 'if you have the patience'. I didn't have the time or inclination to peel a cup full of pistachios, hence why I chose to add a dash of green food colouring so to brighten things up!
Ciao Margherita e grazie! Comment in Italian if it is easier for you!
My ice cream machine has been the *best* purchase that I've made in the last 5 years and that is saying something from a girl who has been fortunate enough to shop in Rome, Barcelona, Nice & Malta over the last couple of years!
Merci beaucoup!
You're very welcome!
You're too funny Sarka!
Thanks for the vote Sarah and for the wooden moulds and for your wonderful friendship xx
Ms. Gourmet, I can't thank you enough! my mom is a life-long pistachio ice cream lover but always complains that most versions aren't pistachio-y enough.
she bought me & my partner our ice cream maker so I wanted to treat her to her favorite. mom RAVED about this recipe! in fact, she called it "the best pistachio ice cream she's ever had."
I don't even like pistachios & I think it's delicious :)
How lucky are you that your mama bought you an ice cream maker, and I'm thrilled that your mama loved the pistachio nut ice cream!