This creamy pistachio ice cream is even more delicious with homemade pistachio toffee in the mix!

Preparation

To make the toffee, combine sugar and butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium-low heat. Stir gently as the butter melts. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, making sure it does not touch the bottom. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the toffee reaches 290°F—it's important not to rush this step as a higher heat can break or scorch the toffee. When the correct temperature has been reached, the toffee will be a rich brown color.

Turn off the heat and add the pistachios, then stir in the vanilla extract. Be careful when making additions to the hot toffee, as it can splatter and bubble up. Pour the hot toffee into a dish lined with parchment paper no more than ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle the sea salt evenly over the top and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool, break or chop toffee into ¼-inch pieces.

To make the ice cream, bring the cream and milk to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot. Add the pistachios and let steep for 30 minutes. In a work bowl, mix together the sugar, egg yolks and salt. Strain the pistachios out of the cream and then slowly pour the warm cream mixture over the egg mixture while stirring constantly. Transfer back to the sauce pot and place on medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until it reaches 165°F.

Strain the custard and place in refrigerator to chill. When cold, pour custard into ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. When ice cream is finished, fold in the toffee and place in freezer to chill for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.