No Churn Pistachio Ice Cream Affogato
Seven days until Shavuot, the holiday we celebrate Torah. I plan on having a big bunch of flowers on my table, a custom that relates to the flowers G-d embellished mount Sinai with, but more than that I hope to breathe and be and celebrate. The time from this past Pesach until now has been a whirlwind and I’m ready to take the few days to calm and recenter.
Somehow we have found a rhythm and balance in our day, not necessarily an ideal one, but they are predictable and sometimes even productive. That also means I’m aiming for simplicity. Bare, beautiful, uncomplicated. I have a holiday menu coming up but I wanted to share this no churn pistachio ice cream. I made for last Shavuot, when we were still living in Israel and never got around to posting it. Truth is, it even feels too much given our reality but it’s still approachable.
Pistachio ice cream is probably one of my favorites, but only if it’s made just right. Creamy, gloriously nutty and that bright green make for the perfect scoop. I used the no churn hack of making a base out of condensed milk and cream because I’m not interested currently in tempering eggs and using clunky ice cream machines. If finding Cholov Yisroel condensed milk is difficult, you can attempt to make it yourself. It’s nothing more than milk and sugar that’s been cooked down.
As the men go off (actually, stay in) to learn the whole night through, I thought offering a sweet treat in the early morning would be delightful. And how perfect is affogato? There’s nothing like a ball of ice cream drowning in a shot of espresso to jolt them back into alertness.
No Churn Pistachio Ice Cream Affogato
ingredients
for the pistachio ice cream,
1 10oz. jar sweetened condensed milk
½ cup pistachio paste*
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp almond extract (optional)
2 cups heavy cream
for the affogato,
1 espresso shot or instant coffee prepared to your liking
Grated pistachio, for garnish
directions
In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, pistachio paste, sugar, and almond extract. In another bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer over medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pistachio mixture, taking care not to deflate the cream. Pour into a container and cover. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
To make the affogato, scoop 1-2 spoonfuls into a cup and garnish with grated pistachios. Pour hot espresso shot over the ice cream. Serve immediately.
Note: you can make your own pistachio paste by processing 1 cup pistachios in your food processor until you get a smooth, nut butter-like consistency.