Vanilla Ice Cream For Lemon Curd Pistachio Sundaes Food

VANILLA ICE CREAM FOR LEMON CURD-PISTACHIO SUNDAES

Steps:

• Combine cream, milk, and salt in a saucepan. Add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Add vanilla bean seeds and pod. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring, about 4 minutes.
• Whisk together egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk half the hot milk mixture into yolks, 1 ladle at a time. Pour mixture into pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes.
• Pour custard through a fine sieve into a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water; discard vanilla pod. Let cool, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate custard until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Chill a loaf pan in freezer. Freeze custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until hardened, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. (If ice cream is in freezer longer than 2 hours, let soften at room temperature 10 minutes before scooping.)

LEMON CURD-PISTACHIO SUNDAES

Steps:

• Make the lemon curd: Cook egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice and zest in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until bubbling in center, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter, a few tablespoons at a time.
• Immediately pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to prevent skin from forming. Let cool; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
• Make the pistachios: Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook until a candy thermometer registers 238 degrees, about 6 minutes. Add nuts and salt, then cook, stirring, until sugar crystallizes, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour mixture onto baking sheet, and let cool 30 minutes. Roughly chop nuts. Nuts can be stored up to 1 week.
• To serve: Scoop ice cream into dishes. Top with curd and whipped cream, then sprinkle with nuts.