FIG & ROSEWATER ICE-CREAM WITH CRUSHED PISTACHIOS & DARK CHOCOLATE

Guys, I am still on a sugar-high...and I did ice-cream, again! This time I played around with one of my favourite ingredient combinations ever: figs, rose water, pistachio and dark chocolate. I’ve used these flavours before in other pastries, such as the sablés I posted about way back when I first started blogging. Figs and rosewater are like a match made in heaven (and I am so happy that figs are finally in season now!) They complement each other so perfectly, and although I could enjoy the duo on it’s own, I just feel that throwing in an explosion of crushed pistachio and dark chocolate does something to the taste and adds some wonderful colour visually.

To be honest, initially I really wanted to make a milk chocolate & lavender ice-cream… but as much as I love lavender, I’m not as excited to use lavender these days... I think I’ve experimented enough with it when the purple wave hit us all a while back invading our kitchen closets, perfuming our recipes and entertaining our tastebuds.

So it is with no regret that I ditched one flowering plant (lavender) for another (rose), especially when I enjoyed it outside in the garden surrounded by a view of colourful blossoming roses and realizing that as I was looking at them, I was tasting them too.

Recipe for Fig & Rosewater ice-cream with crushed Pistachios & Dark Chocolate:

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
125gr sugar
300ml low fat milk
200ml liquid cream
Figs (peeled)
2 tablespoons rose water
Crushed pistachios
Dark chocolate chips (70%)

How to make it:
Mix the egg yolks, peeled figs and sugar in a bowl. In a pot, bring the milk, cream, and rosewater to boil. Pour the boiling milk mixture over the cold mixture (eggs + sugar) while stirring. Return to heat and continue to stir until the cream starts to thicken. This stage of cooking is known as “la nappe” which is achieved between 82-85C. If the cream is not heated sufficiently, the ice-cream will be thin and watery. Remove the pot from the heat and stop the cooking process by place it in cold water mixed with ice cubes. Transfer the mixture to your ice-cream machine. Add the crushed pistachios and dark chocolate chips before churning. Follow manufacturers’ instructions and enjoy ice-cream on the same day, fresh and tasty!

*Remember: you can always replace the eggs with gelatine, pectin or agar-agar.

*I'm also submiting this recipe to Mike's super event You Scream, I Scream, We all Scream for Frozen Desserts! I'm generally screaming frozen desserts all year long, but it's always a bit louder in the summer!