Nuts are such an essential part of making vegan ice cream (our base is heavy on homemade Cashew Milk), that this recipe was a no-brainer. We use the same pistachio paste we rely on in our regular Pistachio Ice Cream, letting its nutty flavor shine through. It took us a while to perfect the vegan version, but it was worth every batch that came up short.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Immersion blender
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (242 grams) coconut milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (242 grams) Cashew Milk
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (175 grams) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (30 grams) cocoa butter
¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons (70 grams) extra-virgin coconut oil
½ teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
3 tablespoons (37 grams) pistachio paste (see Sources)
1. Pour the coconut and cashew milks into a tall (2-quart or larger) container and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (50 grams) water and stir over low heat until the sugar has melted. Stir in the cocoa butter and coconut oil until melted. Stir in the salt until dissolved.
2. Gently pour the sugar mixture into the coconut milk mixture. Using an immersion blender, buzz the liquids together until emulsified. Add the pistachio paste and use the immersion blender to buzz the mixture until emulsified. Cover and refrigerate the ice cream base until chilled, 1 to 2 hours. Do not refrigerate overnight. (If you must refrigerate overnight, “loosen” the solidified ice cream base by placing the container in a bowl with some warm water until it becomes more liquid.)
3. Pour the chilled ice cream base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the container in which you refrigerated the custard in the freezer so you can use it to store the finished ice cream. Churn the ice cream until the texture resembles “soft serve.” Transfer the ice cream to the chilled storage container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately—it will be the consistency of gelato. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.