Glace à la Pistache

Things are heating up in New York. People are beginning to dine al freco, drink in beer gardens, and the girls have even begun wearing bikinis to sunbathe in Central Park ; all the things I love about warm weather. And that also means that it's a perfect time to make some ice cream.

I went with one of my favorites, pistachio. This nutty and almost fruity flavor is irresistible to me, and even better in a cigarette batter bowl (not real cigarettes, pastry). Enjoy

Pistachio Ice Cream

250g Cream (30% fat)

250g Milk

100g Sugar, divided

2 Pinches of salt

1/2t Vanilla extract

6 Egg yolks

35g Pistachio paste

In a medium sized pot, heat the cream, milk, half of the sugar, salt, and vanilla just until scalded, making sure to stir to dissolve the sugar. As the liquid is heating, whisk together the other half of the sugar with the yolks in a large mixing bowl to combine very well. Once the liquid mixture is just scalded, whisk it into the yolks little by little until it is totally incorporated. Pour the mixture back into the pot and heat on medium low while stirring with a rubber spatula until the mixture reaches 85C. Stir in the pistachio paste and combine well before straining the pistachio crème anglaise through a sieve into a bowl, and cool over an ice bath or in the fridge with plastic wrap directly touching the mixture. Once it is completely cool, churn it in your ice cream machine. Freeze to harden and eat.

PS. Pistachio paste is hard to find in the USA, but can be ordered online. It is a mixture of pistachios and sugar, and comes either natural or colored. Because it contains sugar already, I use less sugar in making the crème anglaise that other ice cream recipes.

Cigarettes: 30g Butter, softened 40g Powdered Sugar 30g Egg whites 40g Flour 1 Pinch of salt 1 Dash of vanilla Toasted nuts for sprinkling Preheat the oven to 350F or 170C Mix the butter and powdered sugar together until combined and smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Spread small dollops of the batter onto a silpat with an offset spatula very thinly and evenly. Sprinkle with toasted nut, or leave plain, and bake until they become golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately roll the cookies around a honing steel to make the cigarette shape, or around something round to make a bowl shape. Allow to cool before serving.