Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 4 teaspoons (12g) cornstarch
  • 2 1/2 cups (600g) whole milk
  • 1/2 cup (120g) heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pistachio extract (optional)
  • 1 cup (140g) shelled pistachios*, finely chopped in a food processor (alternatively use 1/3 cup or 60g pistachio butter)
  • 1/2 cup (70g) shelled pistachios*, lightly toasted (if desired) and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (90g) reserved steeped pistachio paste (alternatively use 1/4 cup or 50g unsweetened pistachio butter)
  • 6 tablespoons (90g) heavy cream
  • 3oz (85g) good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons toasted pistachio oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon pistachio extract (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instruction

  • For ice cream base, in a small bowl whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of milk and set aside.Combine remaining milk in a medium saucepan along with cream, sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.Remove from heat and whisk in cornstartch. Return to medium heat and let boil for 1 minute more until slightly thickened. Stir in pistachio extract and 1 cup finely chopped pistachios.Transfer to an ice bath (a heat-proof bowl or 4-cup glass measuring cup set inside a larger bowl of ice water) and let cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Cover tightly, pressing a layer of plastic wrap down on the surface of the mixture, and refrigerate overnight. This cools the base completely (making churning quicker), as well as ‘cures’ the base, resulting in a thicker and creamier ice cream.The next day, strain the ice cream base through a fine mesh sieve to remove all the bits of pistachio, pressing out as much of the cream as possible. Re-cover and return to the fridge until you’re ready to churn.To make the pistachio cream, place the strained pistachios in a high powered blender or food processor. (Tip: weigh the empty container before adding the pistachios so you know how much you have; it’ll make the next step easier). Process until smooth and paste-like.Measure out 1/2 cup (90g) of pistachio paste and return to blender. The rest can be reserved for another use.Place chopped white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Warm cream and sugar over medium-low heat until it starts to steam. Pour over white chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds, then gently whisk until melted and smooth. Pour into blender with pistachio paste. Add pistachio oil, pistachio extract and salt and pulse until smooth and creamy. If your blender wasn’t able to get the pistachio paste completely smooth, you can strain the final pistachio cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve to make the final product perfectly smooth and creamy.Place pistachio cream mixture in a bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (it must be cold otherwise it’ll melt the ice cream!)Pre-freeze your chopped pistachios as well as your ice cream storage container for at least 30 to 60 minutes.Churn ice cream in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. When it reaches the consistency of soft-serve, stir in 1/2 cup of chopped pistachios. Transfer to a shallow, 6 or 8 cup capacity freezer-safe storage dish or an 8-inch cake pan. Spread ice cream into an even later, then place in the freezer for at least 2 hours to firm up. (If you are using a deeper pan like a loaf pan or ice cream pint container, I recommend alternating spooning a bit of the ice cream with a generous drizzle of the pistachio cream; that way each scoop will have a bit of the pistachio cream in it. Save some of the pistachio cream for the final layer on top.)Once the ice cream has set up fairly firmly, pour the pistachio cream over top and spread into an even layer. Cover and freeze overnight until completely firm before scooping and serving.