Mmmmm, who doesn’t love ice cream, especially pistachio ice cream. Many people have a misconception that being gluten free, also means someone is dairy free, but they are not the same! Those who are gluten free do need to be wary of certain ice creams though, such as cookie dough, or cookies n' cream (as the cookies themselves are made with wheat, but not the ice cream itself). But they can still enjoy many other flavors. By making ice cream from scratch you can make sure it is gluten free and won't get you sick.
Pistachio ice cream is one they're sure to love. I remember the first time I tried pistachio ice cream, from Nice Cream in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The county wasn't our favorite, but the ice cream was fantastic. We had friends over once who lived in South Africa and they joked that they would move to the DRC just for the ice cream. After we moved away, we couldn't find any similar pistachio ice cream anywhere else, or at least not as good. So we decided to do a bit of research to be able to make our own. And it still may not be as good as Nice Creams version, but it is a close second. I hope you can enjoy it as much as I do!
Ingredients:
1/2 c. Pistachios
3/4 c. Sugar, divided
1 c. Whole Milk
1 c. Canned Milk
1 c. Heavy Cream
1 tsp. Pistachio Extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Tip: It is best for your ingredients to remain cold up until they are needed in the recipe.
Many recipes will tell you to add 1 1/2 cup whole milk and 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, however, my family feels that it becomes to fatty and dislike the consistency it makes. However, if this is what you are used it, and enjoy, it will work for this recipe as well, and can be a supplement if you don't have canned milk.
Tip: Make sure your ice cream maker has been in your freezer at least overnight, and don't pull it out of your freezer until after you have made your ice cream base.
Instructions:
Roast pistachios in oven at 350º F. Salt.
In a food processor, grind pistachios and sugar until fine.
Pour the whole and canned milk into a measuring cup, or large bowl (needs to be large enough to hold at least 4 cups), add pistachios and sugar, whisk until well combined. (Tip: By adding the pistachios and sugar before the heavy cream prevents your mixture from becoming over whipped). Add heavy cream, continue to whisk.
Add the pistachio and vanilla extracts. (If desired add green food coloring until desired shade. You may want to add a bit of yellow to create the pistachio color. I added about 3 drops green, 2 drops yellow.) Continue to whisk.
Pull out your ice cream maker. (While you do this, you may want to put the base of the ice cream in the refrigerator allowing it to chill slightly.) Pour your base into the ice cream maker and let turn until frozen. It takes about 20 minutes in our kitchen aid attachment.
6. Leave in freezer for 3-4 hours before serving (this allows your mixture to firm
up).
Enjoy!
(All photos taken by Eowyn Collins on November 26, 2018.)