Author Notes: I like to play with flavors, Saffron is one I love and I have been thinking for a while now how it would taste in a sweet rather than savory dish. So I decided to make a saffron ice cream, swirled with raspberry and add some toasted pistachios. The colors are beautiful and the pistachio adds texture.Serve with some of the leftover raspberry syrup thats not used for the swirl. —sdebrango
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
Raspberry Syrup
-
1
pint Fresh Raspberries
-
1/2
cup Sugar
-
2
Strips of lemon peel (Use vegetable peeler)
The Custard
-
5
Egg yolks (Large or extra large) at room temperature
-
3/4
cup Sugar
-
1 1/2
cups Heavy Cream
-
1 1/2
cups Whole milk
-
Pinch of saffron ( a little goes a long way)
-
1 1/2
teaspoons Vanilla Extract
-
1
tablespoon clear corn syrup
-
1/2
cup pistachios chopped and toasted
Directions
Raspberry Syrup
- Add to saucepan the raspberries, sugar and lemon peel. Cook on med/high for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl using a sieve you want to retain as much pulp as possible just leaving the seeds behind.Put in a jar or bowl coverd with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
The Custard
- Separate your eggs, place yolks in mixing bowl, add the sugar and beat with hand held mixer until pale and thick. In saucepan pour in cream and milk, add the pinch of saffron and heat to scalding do not bring to a boil. Drizzle half the heated cream and milk into the egg and sugar mixture whisking constantly you are tempering the eggs. Pour back into saucepan and cook on Medium heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When it becomes thick turn spoon over and slide your finger down the back of the spoon, the custard is ready if the line you have drawn stays intact.Or you can use your thermometer and when the custard reaches a temperature of 165-170 its done. Remove from heat.
- Pour into heatproof bowl or measuring cup add the vanilla and corn syrup and stir. Cover in plastic and refrigerate until cold must be 40 degrees or less. Chop the pistachios and either oven toast or pan toast them. I threw in a fry pan and toasted for about 2 minutes, stir frequently. Remove from heat transfer to a bowl to cool.
- When the custard is cold add to your ice cream maker and when it looks like soft serve ice cream add the chopped pistachios. To make the raspberry swirl you will need to do it in 3 stages. Place a third of the ice cream in your freezer container,generously drizzle raspberry syrup. Repeat for the other two layers. With a butter knife or a bamboo skewer carefully swirl around a couple of times careful not to over do it you don’t want it blended in with the custard. Place in freezer for approximately 4 hours so its scoopable.
Photo by sdebrango