Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream

Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream

Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream pistachios

We moved, from Brooklyn to Jersey City, where I don’t yet know where to buy fish or bread or meat or farmers’ market vegetables. But our apartment is finally set up, save one chifforobe, and I’m really proud of it–it has style–dare I say it is stylish?–and it is full, full, full of plants. (More on this in an upcoming post.) 

I turn thirty today. I’m finally adopting the cat I’ve long wanted, and I spend hours in bed when I should be sleeping, googling possible names to the glowy light of my phone, to the bemusement of my husband.

I’ve been struggling with some health issues that, while not dire, feel like they’ve swallowed me up. I avoided writing for too long, so now I don’t know where to start, except to list the highlights. This is list writing, not actual writing.

We have a table that seats eight now, and dish ware and silverware to accommodate that many. I’m trying to lure groups for dinner with the promise of three-day ragu and cakes. Do you live in Jersey City? Do you want to be friends?

I’m trying to go for runs in Liberty State Park, which is very close to our apartment, and also very beautiful. I walked there through the snow this weekend, and it was peace personified in whiteout, in chips of ice floating in the canal, in the geese idling between lolling reeds.

For now, there’s too much percolating in my mind to be eloquent in this space. This is a cop out, I know it. In the meantime, read When Breath Becomes Air and also Astonish Me. AlsoI’m not a beer person, but I recently discovered sour beers (thanks, Crissy and Ryan!), and maybe now I’m a beer person. I especially love Two Evil Geyser Gose at the moment.

Make some ice cream. It’s what I did. You won’t regret it.

Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream

Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream

Orange, cardamom, and pistachio play well together, and the warmth and depth of these flavors places this ice cream in the “winter” category of my mind. (Every season is ice cream season, ok?) I like to use salted pistachios, both because they’re easier to source, and because the salty pop provides a pleasing contrast to the sweet and creamy of the base. Makes 1.5 pints. 

  • ingredients
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) shelled, salted pistachios
  • 1 teaspoon egg white
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup (178 ml/6 oz) whole milk
  • 1 1/4 cups (296 ml/10 oz) heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup (17 grams) skim milk powder
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • the zest of 1 orange
  • 4 egg yolks

  • procedure: 
  •      Turn the oven to 350F/176C. Spread the pistachios, egg white, brown sugar, and baking soda on a small baking sheet; using your hands, toss the nuts with the other ingredients until evenly coated. When the oven is hot, bake for 10 minutes. Out of the oven, allow the nuts to cool for 10 minutes. Use the bottom of a large mug to break the nuts into uneven pieces. (You can prepare the pistachios up to 3 days ahead and store them on the counter in an airtight container.)
  •      In a medium-sized pot, whisk together the milk, cream, milk powder, and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and then turn off the heat.
  •      In a small separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar for 15 seconds. Slowly, pour the sugared yolks into the milk/cream pot, whisking constantly for another 15 seconds. Turn the heat back on to medium-low, and, stirring occasionally, warm the base until it coats the back of a spoon; 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  •      Using the side of a chef’s knife (or a mortar and pestle), smash the cardamom pods; add them to the pot, along with the orange zest. Let the warm base to steep for 30 minutes, then run it through a sieve; discard the pods and zest. Chill in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
  •      When the ice cream base is cold, pour it into an ice cream maker. Let the machine run based on the manufacturer’s instructions, about 35 minutes. In the last 2 minutes, add the pistachios. Spoon the ice cream into a container, move it to the freezer, and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream

This post was sponsored by the National Restaurant Association as part of their promotion of their top food and beverage trend predictions for 2016. Their food and menu trend forecast is based on a survey of nearly 1,600 professional chefs and members of the American Culinary Federation. Thank you to the National Restaurant Association for their support. All opinions are my own.

I chose to create a House-Made/Artisan Ice Cream recipe, but the recipe also naturally falls into Hyper-local Sourcing (I buy my eggs from the farmers’ market–hi, Central Valley Farm!–and my dairy from NJ or NY), Natural Ingredients/Minimally Processed Food, Ethnic Condiments/Spices (cardamom!), and Farm/Estate Branded Items (again, I really love CVF).

Cardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice CreamCardamom-Orange + Brown Sugar-Pistachio Ice Cream

4 Comments

  1. Lia

    Hey it’s Lia from high school delurking! Haha. I don’t live in Jersey City but I did just move to the city and I’m not (yet) a big baby about traveling.

    This flavor combination sounds delightful. I don’t love ice cream enough to make it, but you’ve inspired me to experiment with orange cardamom muffins. Maybe a pistachio topping? Mmm

  2. Mary Esquivel

    Yum, especially from a silver spoon!

  3. sarah

    in summers i love to make home made ice cream but i never used eggs before in my ice cream thanks for sharing your recipe would love to try

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