This fantastic Italian Pistachio Gelato recipe and photos are being shared by my daughter, Nancy Hartman of Portland, Oregon.
Check out Nancy's article
Italian Gelato - One Day I Walked Into A Gelateria.
Nancy says, "I was having fond memories of Italy today and decided to try my hand at my favorite gelato - Pistachio!
My son, Christopher, prefers
Chocolate Ice Cream, so it was decided we needed to make both kinds in case he didn't like this
Pistachio Gelato. So we might as well double each so we have a lot of both - so we did!
I searched the web for an authentic Italian Gelato recipe, and there aren’t a lot out there. I found one to try, I
played around with, and it turned out great! When in Italy, I also learned that one of the main differences in gelato is in the
preparation. Gelato is made in a custard form first, heating it up, and then allowing it to cool down so that the milk proteins bind. This produces the
smaller ice crystals and delicate flavor that differentiates it from ice cream.
More delicious
Ice Cream, Sorbet, Granita, & Gelato Recipes.
Italian Pistachio Gelato Recipe
Recipe Type:
Ice Cream,
Dessert,
Pistachio
Cuisine: Italian
Yields: 1 quart
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 hr
Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk, divided
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup Pistachio Cream (see recipe below)
Preparation:
In a small bowl combine 1 cup milk, cornstarch, and sugar. Using a
wire whisk, combine the ingredints to form a flurry so that all the cornstarch is dissolved
and the mixture is smooth.
In a medium-size saucepan over medium
heat, combine the remaining 3 cups milk and the vanilla extract. Stirring
occasionally, heat the mixture to almost a boil; stir in the cornstarch
mixture and let simmer from 5 to 12 minutes to thicken, stirring constantly. Remove from heat
and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until completely
chilled, preferably overnight.
Prior to using the custard mixture, pour
the chilled custard through a strainer into a mixing bowl to clear out any
clumps that may have formed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Prepare the Pistachio Cream (see below).
Whisk the prepared chilled Pistachio Cream into
the strained and chilled custard. The gelato mixture is now ready for the freezing process.
Transfer the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Either
churn your ice cream by hand or by motor.
When the gelato is done, either serve and enjoy (best
if eaten and enjoyed immediately as gelato has a shorter storage life than ice
cream) or transfer to freezer containers and freeze until firmer.
Makes approximately 1 quart of pistacho gelato.
Pistachio Cream:
1 cup hot water
7 to 8 ounces raw unsalted shelled and hulled pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
In a medium-size saucepan, bring water to a boil.
Place the pistachio nuts, sugar, and olive oil in a food processor. Blend/process, adding the
hot water (1 tablespoon at a time to control the consistency of the cream)
until pistachios are a smooth, creamy consistency that blends freely in the
blender (I actually used 9 tablespoons of hot water).
NOTE: Stop the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl several times
during this process.
When done, cover and refrigerate until ready to use in making the gelato.
Makes approximately 1 cup.
