Gelato al Pistacchio (Pistachio Ice Cream)

Pistachio ice cream, made with the famous pistachios from Bronte (a small village in Sicily), is a real delight that you can enjoy by itself or use as a filling for crepes, croissants, cakes and other sweets. The success of this recipe is the choice of ingredients: they must be fresh and of good quality. Homemade ice cream is easier than you think; it is genuine and healthy, because it is chemical-free, as well as nutritious – both adults and children love it. I usually make ice cream in the summer (see my vanilla and strawberry ice cream recipes), when the weather is hot and cool, refreshing dishes are well-received. I recently returned from a marvellous trip to the Middle East where I enjoyed the local pistachios. Back home I tried this ice cream recipe and loved it. Pistachio, a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originally from Central Asia, Middle East and the Mediterranean area. It is an ancient type of nut, enjoyed early on by the Romans, and no wonder why!! Pistachios are delicious and healthy (good source of vitamins, minerals and oleic acid, mono-unsaturated fatty acid; they add a special flavor and a touch of color to sweets, salads, pasta, rice, cheese, meat dishes and cold cuts such as mortadella.

Sweets are irresistible temptations in life, but if you have to satisfy a sweet tooth, do it HEALTHILY! Recent studies have found that during a diet, for example, a healthy sweet can help you achieve greater weight loss, increase motivation in the diet, prevent decreases in metabolic rates and eliminate binging.

GELATO AL PISTACCHIO (PISTACHIO ICE CREAM)

Preparation time: 1 hour         Chilling time: 6 hours             Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

90 g (2/3 cup) Pistachios, shelled and finely chopped
200 ml (scant cup) + 4 tablespoons whole milk
200 ml (scant cup) fresh whipping cream
80 g (scant ½ cup) sugar
2 medium egg yolks

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend the pistachios in a food processor and add 4 tablespoons of milk until you obtain a creamy mixture
2. In a saucepan mix the milk and cream and heat over low heat. Add the pistachios. Measure the temperature with a cooking thermometer. It should not exceed 85 °C (185 °F). Cook for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 45 minutes
3. Beat the egg yolks and the sugar with a wisk. The yolks should be creamy and pale yellow
4. Heat the milk, cream and pistachios mixture again to reach the temperature of 85°C (185°F). Filter using a sieve. Add the milk to the egg yolk mixture, stirring slowly. Cook for a few minutes then remove from the heat and let cool completely, stirring a few times with a spoon
5. If you have an ice cream maker pour the mixture into ice cream maker and follow the instructions
6. If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture in a suitable container and store in the freezer for at least three hours. Remove from the freezer, stir and put back in the freezer for another three hours. At this point, the ice cream is ready. To give it a creamier texture blend for a few seconds and then put in the freezer for about 10 minutes. -Paola