Pistachio Ice Cream

Churned custard

1. Toast the pistachios. Heat oven to 325°F. Spread pistachios on a sheet pan and toast 7 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. Cool completely. From the toasted pistachios, measure and finely chop 1/2 cup for later (this is your crunchy stir-in).

   

2. Steep the pistachios in dairy. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup toasted pistachios, milk, and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Warm over medium heat until steaming and just starting to bubble at the edges. Turn off the heat, cover, and steep 20 minutes. Do not drain; you will cook the custard with the pistachios still in the pot, then strain later.

   

3. Whisk the yolks and sugar. In a heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt until the mixture looks lighter and slightly thickened, about 30 to 60 seconds.

4. Temper, then cook the custard. Rewarm the pistachio dairy mixture until steaming. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of it into the yolk mixture (go gradually so you do not scramble anything). Pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and holds a clear line when you run a finger through it, 170°F to 180°F.

   

5. Strain and finish the base. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing gently on the pistachios to get every last drop of flavor. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. If using food coloring, add it now, one drop at a time.

   Optional flavor boost: For a deeper pistachio punch, blend the steeped pistachios with a splash of the warm dairy, then strain, or stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons pistachio paste here.

6. Chill completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours (overnight is even better). If you are in a hurry, set the bowl into an ice bath and stir until chilled, then refrigerate 1 hour.

7. Churn. Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions, usually 20 to 30 minutes, until it looks like soft serve.

8. Add the chopped pistachios. In the last minute of churning, add the reserved chopped pistachios so they mix in without sinking.

9. Freeze until scoopable. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, press parchment or plastic wrap directly on the surface, cover, and freeze at least 4 hours.

   

No-churn option

1. Make the cooked custard base. Follow Steps 1 through 5 in the churned method (toast, steep, whisk yolks and sugar, cook the custard, then strain and finish with the remaining 1/2 cup cream plus vanilla and optional almond extract). This no-churn version uses the same ingredients, including the egg yolks, for a creamy texture.

2. Chill completely. Cover and refrigerate the custard base until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. It needs to be fully chilled before you fold it into whipped cream.

3. Whip additional cream. In a separate bowl, whip 1 cup cold heavy cream to medium peaks (it should hold its shape, but the tip will gently curl over).

   Note: This is the one spot where no-churn needs a little help. The custard base uses the full 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream listed in the ingredients, so for the no-churn method you will need an additional 1 cup heavy cream for whipping.

4. Fold. Gently fold the chilled pistachio custard into the whipped cream until mostly uniform. Fold in the reserved chopped pistachios.

5. Freeze. Spoon into a freezer-safe container, press parchment or plastic wrap directly on the surface, cover, and freeze 6 to 8 hours.

Texture note: No-churn will be a little airier and slightly less dense than the churned custard version. The cooked custard base helps it freeze up creamy instead of icy, especially when the base is thoroughly chilled and your freezer runs cold and steady.