Fry

Saffron Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream with Toasted Pistachios

by:
July  5, 2011
4.5
4 Ratings
Photo by sdebrango
  • Serves 6-8
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

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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
  1. Raspberry Syrup
  2. 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.
  1. The Custard
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

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I have loved to cook for as long as I can remember, am self taught learning as I go. I come from a large Italian family and food was at the center of almost every gathering. My grandfather made his own wine and I remember the barrels of wine in the cellar of my grandfathers home, I watched my mother and aunts making homemade pasta and remember how wonderful it was to sit down to a truly amazing dinner. Cooking for me is a way to express myself its my creative outlet. I enjoy making all types of food but especially enjoy baking, I live in Brooklyn, NY, and I share my home with my two dogs Izzy and Nando. I like to collect cookbooks and scour magazines and newspapers for recipes. I hope one day to organize them.

20 Reviews

Jazzball June 23, 2013
Thanks, Suzanne! Can't wait till my freezer bowl is cold enough.
Jazzball June 23, 2013
I might want to try this outside raspberry season. What about using whole frozen (unsweetened) raspberries instead of fresh I'm sure the flavor will differ somewhat, but nevertheless, what do you think?
creamtea August 20, 2012
OMG....
boulangere August 20, 2012
Wow.
Bevi August 20, 2012
This looks beautiful and sounds delicious!
hungryinRI July 12, 2011
Looks great! Will try it out. But the plural of pistachio is "pistachios." An apostrophe s is used only to indicate a possessive. Sorry to be finicky but it's just wrong!! Thanks for the recipe and can't wait to try it out!
EmilyC July 8, 2011
This looks divine! I'm intrigued by the saffron, never having had it in ice cream. There are SO many things I want to try from raspberry week, this included!
Sagegreen July 8, 2011
Wow!
lorigoldsby July 7, 2011
The colors of this remind me of spumoni...in those cute little metal dishes...
gingerroot July 7, 2011
Beautiful! And what an amazing combination of flavors!!
nogaga July 6, 2011
What a completely brilliant mix of flavours! I love this!
lapadia July 6, 2011
Oh my, this is a beautiful looking and great flavored Ice Cream, sdebrango!!! I only regret that I don't "do" eggs in my ice creams or sorbets...but I like it anyway. :)
lapadia July 6, 2011
OOPS...let me rephrase, I just don't "do" raw eggs...even if pasteurized. However, when I follow a recipe that calls for them I substitute 2 tablespoons of heavy cream per large egg, and that usually makes up for the difference, still results in a creamy product. Out of saffron and pistachios at the moment, will have to put on my grocery list. In some ways this recipe reminds me of Spumone...my absolute favorite! Great job on creating this one.
lapadia July 6, 2011
I have played around with my own, but really have my eye on the Cherry Spumoni in Amanda's new book - page 732. The warm weather is showing up, so I know I will make it soon!
Kitchen B. July 6, 2011
Oh my WORD. So not fair. This looks stunning and delicious. I love the 'Italian colours'!!!!!!!!!!!
inpatskitchen July 6, 2011
Just beautiful!!
boulangere July 6, 2011
Now this is brilliant!
Andreadoria56 July 6, 2011
This is a great idea - I love saffron too.
hardlikearmour July 5, 2011
This sounds divine, and I can't wait to see a photo!
hardlikearmour July 6, 2011
Gorgeous, just as I imagined!