"The secret to world peace is...pistachios"-Dennis Rodman in this terrible Wonderful Pistachios commercial
Pistachios are almost the perfect "culinary nut" (I learned that pistachios are actually seeds, but it's okay to call it a culinary nut, but alas it will never be a real nut). They are super healthy, are delicious and of course, fun to eat. The only thing you can hold against the seeds are the annoying C list celebrities (with the exception of Kermit the Frog, of course) that get paid to endorse them. Pistachio recipes are super hot for Thanksgiving this year showing up in a variety of recipes. I thought I would use the salty snack in a sweet treat. My favorite Indian dessert is kulfi with pistachios, so a pistachio ice cream seemed perfect for a fall ice cream. It is a great way to end an Indian or Middle Eastern meal.
Using this recipe, the process was a little slightly more labor intensive than some of the other ice creams I have made and here are a few suggestions if do you try it. The recipe calls for way too many pistachios (for adding to the custard). My suggestion would be to reduce the amount to 1/4 to 1/2 cups (I used 1/2 cups and my tasters still thought it was too nutty (err..seedy?)) Also, toasting the pistachios per the recipe gives the ice cream a slightly smoky flavor. If that does not sound appealing to you, non-toasted will taste just as good. And my favorite tip (thanks Rabbit Food Rocks for setting me straight): life is too short to crack all the pistachios for this ice cream. Your grocery's bulk section or nut (err..seed) section will have ones with the shells removed. For a little extra crunch, serve with a dark chocolate cookie (Pictured above is Trader Joe's Laceys Cookies Dark Chocolate Almond).
Other interesting variations:
The Perfect Scoop's dried apricot and pistachio ice cream
Roasted pineapple with pistachio ice cream
image source: SD
-SD
