I have been pretty obsessed with gelato since the first time I had it back in college, we used to visit this local gelato shop in Jacksonville, sadly it went out of business not long after I was married. I bookmarked this recipe a few years ago in my Williams-Sonoma Frozen Desserts cook book, lately my hubs has been on a pistachio gelato kick, he usually buys the pints of it whenever it is on sale, so I knew I had to make some from scratch.
I originally set out to make this Pistachio Gelato as a Valentines surprise for my hubby, but time just got away from me and it didn’t happen until last weekend. I’m really glad that I found the time to make it and I’m especially glad my husband was so helpful in shelling the pistachios. As much as I love eating them, it doesn’t take long for your fingers to start hurting!
I was surprised at how easy it was to make my own gelato, the chilling of the custard takes the most time and I was eager to try the end result, which was delicious. This pistachio gelato is smooth and creamy, with a subtle green color from the pistachios and a little crunch from the chopped pieces. My husband said it was just as good as the store bought one, which made me really happy, I always count that as a win. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!
Pistachio Gelato
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 2 pints
Ingredients
- 6 oz unsalted pistachios, shelled
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 c sugar
- 8 oz heavy cream
- 2 c whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- In your food processor pulse 3 oz of the pistachios and 1/4 c sugar until a fine paste is achieved, about 1 minute.
- Chop the remaining 3 oz of nuts and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar and heavy cream until a thick, smooth texture is achieved.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the milk and pistachio paste until it just starts to simmer, stir frequently, but do not let it boil.
- Whisking constantly, add 1/4 of the milk mixture to the yolk mixture to temper the eggs.
- Whisk the tempered yolk mixture back into the milk mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, just until it begins to simmer.
- Push the custard through a mesh sieve and discard the solids.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl that is placed in a water bath and let cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes - 1 hour.
- Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the top of the custard, to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.
- Freeze the custard according to manufactures directions for your ice cream maker, about 25-30 minutes, adding the remaining chopped pistachios a minute or two before finished.
- Serve immediately or for a firmer texture freeze in an airtight container.
Notes
Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Frozen Desserts
Courses dessert, ice cream
I adore pistachios! I am probably the only person who has never had gelato! This is the perfect recipe to use for my first batch! I love this Emily!
Me too Tanya! I hope you love it too 🙂
I’m a huge fan of pistachios (not the shelling part of course) and love this gelato. Now that I have an ice cream maker, I will be definitely trying it!!
I hope you enjoy it too Zainab!
Looks so good! I’ve got to freeze my attachment and make Stephen some!
Thanks Natalie
To say that I am obsessed with pistachios is probably an understatement. I love them and this gelato looks amazing. I’ve never made pistachio gelato or ice cream, but definitely need to try this soon!
I’m a bit obsessed with pistachios too, I just know you’re going to love this gelato, it is delicious 🙂
This looks amazing Emily! Pistachios are my favorite and I don’t know why I’ve never made pistachio gelato or ice cream, but that definitely needs to change. I can’t wait to try this soon – pinning 🙂
Thank you Kelly, I hope you try it 🙂
I love pistachios. They are one of my favorite nuts. Awesome idea to make a gelato with them! Pinned. 🙂
Thank you Julie!