Indulge in the rich, creamy taste of homemade pistachio ice cream. Made with real pistachios, its distinct flavor sets it apart from any other ice cream flavor.
Place the cream and milk in a medium-sized pot. Heat over medium-low heat until steamy.
While the cream and milk are heating, add the sugar and egg yolks to a mixing bowl. Whisk by hand until pale and smooth, about 1 minute.
While whisking the egg yolks vigorously and constantly, slowly dribble ½cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Once the ½ cup of cream is well combined, pour and scrape all of the egg yolk mixture back into the pot of remaining cream.
Cook the custard over medium-low heat until it reaches between 170ºF and 175ºF (77ºC and 79ºC) on a digital thermometer.
Remove the pot from the heat and carefully strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into an airtight container. Stir in the malt powder (if using), pistachio extract, and salt until well combined. Gently press plastic wrap evenly on top of the custard to prevent skin from forming. Let the custard sit at room temperature for one hour to cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for 8 hours, and preferably overnight.
Remove the plastic wrap from the custard and squeeze any excess batter from the plastic back into the container. Give the custard a final whisk before processing it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Rough chop the pistachios and add them to the ice cream 5 minutes before the churning cycle has finished. Scoop the ice cream into insulated ice cream tubs or other airtight containers with lids and store in the freezer until ready to scoop and serve. You can also eat the ice cream immediately if you like soft serve consistency.
If you'd like to make no-churn pistachio ice cream, follow the ingredients and method for my lemon curd ice cream. Of course, instead of vanilla extract, use pistachio emulsion (or whichever flavor you decide), and don't layer the ice cream. Spoon it directly into your chosen container. No churn ice cream is super easy to make and delicious; however, it does have a different texture and mouth feel.
Whisk the yolks quickly without stopping as you dribble in the hot cream to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
If you don’t own a thermometer, cook the custard until it coats the back of a spoon and your finger leaves a track when you trace a line through it.