Pistachio Gelato

Initially, I was going to use Pistachio flavoring, which from looking at the store brands seemed to result in a neon green color. I began to wonder how Pistachio Gelato was made before extracts existed and decided to use real pistachio nuts. It is a little wasteful, but the flavor is worth it. My first taste of it triggered a memory of having pistachio gelato when I was a child. The taste was so great it was like my taste buds had been waiting for most of my life to taste it again. The color is not that exciting. It will be a light green, but if you love pistachio you will never settle for the taste of store brought again.

Ingredients

10 ounces unsalted shelled pistachios

32 ounces heavy cream

6 egg yolks

6 ounces of sugar

Grind the pistachios in a nut grinder. This increases the amount of surface area of the nuts so the cream absorbs more pistachio flavor.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites.

Pour the cream into a double boiler. Make sure the boiling water in the bottom pan does not touch the upper pan.

Add 6 ounces of the pistachios (Set the rest of the pistachios aside for later) and cook over medium heat. The heat helps to pull the pistachio flavor from the nuts. Do not let the cream boil.

While the cream and pistachios are heating up combine the sugar with the egg yolks in a large bowl and beat them together until they are creamy.

When the cream is hot (but not boiling) add about 1/4^th of the hot cream and Pistachio mixture at a time into the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Be careful as the nuts may cause splatter as you mix them.

Clean the upper pot of the double boiler, dry and return above the boiling water of the lower pot. Pour the cream, egg, sugar and pistachio mixture into the double boiler and heat gently until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.

Pour the cream mixture into a bowl that is set over another bowl filled with ice and water. Continuing to occasionally stir until cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. This allows even more of the pistachio flavor to be absorbed into the cream.

The next morning, strain the cream and pistachio mixture through a sieve (fine-meshed) and use a large soft silicone spatula to squeeze out as much of the cream out of the pistachios as you can. Even though the pistachio nuts I used in the boiling cream still tasted ok, I used fresh ones because I thought there would not be enough flavor to rise above the cream, which tends to mute flavors.

Pour the liquid into your KitchenAid freezer insert and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the pistachios a little at a time a couple of minutes before the gelato is done (when it starts to thicken).

Remember even after the gelato is done, the gelato is not done until it has set in the freezer for 24 hours.

Copyright 2007 Dan Amato

Chambord and Hazelnut Gelato

I have always loved the taste of Chambord. It is both subtle and satisfying. This was my first gelato and one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

32 ounces of heavy cream

6 egg yolks

6 ounces of sugar

2 ounces of Chambord® liquor

4 ounces of chopped hazelnuts

4 ounces grated chocolate Hershey’s® Special Dark

You can add an extra 2 ounces of Chambord if you cook it down to get the alcohol out. After cooking it down let it cool. If you do not cook it down then you can just add it at the appropriate time (Be aware that it will increase the freezing time).

Separate the egg yolks from the whites.

Pour the cream into a double boiler and cook over medium heat. Make sure the boiling water in the bottom pan does not touch the upper pan and do not let the cream boil.

While the cream is heating up combine the sugar with the egg yolks in a large bowl and beat them together until they are creamy.

When the cream is hot (not boiling) add about 1/4^th of the hot cream at a time into the egg mixture, whisking vigorously.

Clean the upper pot of the double boiler, dry and return above the boiling water of the lower pot. Pour the cream, egg, and sugar mixture into the double boiler and heat gently until the mixture thickens slightly, coats the back of a spoon and is hot, but not boiling. Remove from the heat.

Pour the cream mixture into a bowl that is set over another bowl filled with ice and water and add the Chambord to the cream mixture. Continuing to stir until cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day pour the cream mixture into your KitchenAid freezer insert, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the hazelnuts and chocolate a little at a time a couple of minutes before the gelato is done (when it starts to thicken).

The gelato is not finished until it has set in the freezer for 24 hours, but there is nothing wrong with sneaking a taste before it is finished.

Be aware that when you add things like chocolate or nuts you will have to use a silicone spatula to stir the gelato once each hour (Time depends on your freezer) for a couple of hours or the nuts and chocolate will fall to the bottom.

Copyright 2007 Dan Amato

You will need

KitchenAid® mixer

KitchenAid® freezer insert

A good size double boiler

Large soft silicone spatula

Large bowl

Large three-quart square container that fits in the freezer (Some ingredients can sink to the bottom before the gelato freezes. You will need a large container for mixing the gelato a couple of times before it finally freezes so ingredients stay suspended throughout the gelato.)

Occasionally a good hammer

The rest of the items, except the ingredients of the different recipes, you probably have in your kitchen