Pistachio Matcha Tea Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sliders

by ....RaeDi

I have to say I am feeling so blessed here, the sun has been shining all but a couple of days since July 4th, our official beginning of summer here in the Northwest.  It helps my health so much and is such an upper for the mental mind.   I started a new medicine for pain and it is bringing me much relief.  I do not have to take a pill, the magic is Lidoderm patches.   I place them over the places of pain; I look like a piece of polka dot fabric after getting fitted… but the pain relief is minimal, a beginning.   Anyone who lives in pain realizes I am sure that any relief of severe hurt is such a release; it is like a reprieve on life.

I have been doing a few things that most take for granted, some wonderful walks on the beach and out and about, it feels so good to be free.  I made the first visit to the market in a long time.  But soon realized that the back pain I get from walking on cement floors has not changed, but hey I will take any relief I can get.  I too realized that I still need to pace myself, it will just be a little harder with the relief of pain, and I want to do so much…

With summer upon us, one of the treats that I love and do not generally eat is ice cream.  I stay so cold all the time, eating ice cream just magnifies the bitterness I feel from cold.  But feeling so good I decided to make something I have not made in a while.  But this time I have done them from a different angle so to speak.   With sliders being so popular and of healthy serving size, the Matcha Tea has so many health benefits’, and the heart healthy pistachio nuts all being some of my favorites I blended them all together for these little treats.   A wonderful new little pleasure has been born.

I took one of my favorite French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipes, added some Pistachio Paste and nuts and then added some Matcha Tea Powder which brought these little treats to an all time high.  This is one of the best blends of ice cream I have had in a while.  The only thing I can think to add is chocolate and I think next time I will make some ganache and swirl it in, ooo…ooh!

I made the chocolate wafers/cookies, (with a couple of minor adds) from an ice cream sandwich recipe at AnniesEats.  Take a visit there, she is incredible, so much talent, her sugar cookies belong in a gallery.  Take a look at her cakes, pies, cookies and everything…  she is in the midst of her residency, Family Practice (I hope I have that right) and too just had a beautiful baby girl who joined her brother that just had his 3rd birthday.  I do not see how she has time for everything.

I used AnnieEats recipe with only a couple of changes, when I rolled them out I used Pistachio Flour instead of regular flour.   You can see it in the pictures and it added that little pistachio flavor that blended well with the ice-cream… I liked the look and I added the Matcha Powder to the mix.

These I have been told I will be making again.  Next time I will roll the cookie dough thinner, these were a little too thick for my liking.  I so enjoyed making these, it was so nice to be in the kitchen with some pain relief.  It makes such a big difference.  I feel so blessed and could give Betty (my health provider) a big hug and a Pistachio Matcha Tea Ice Cream Slider.  I think she would approve.

Pistachio Matcha Tea Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Chocolate Cookies/Wafers

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Matcha Tea Powder
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • Pistachio Flour from rolling dough in

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, vegetable oil and brown sugar.  Beat on medium speed until combined.  Blend in the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla extract until smooth.  In a separate bowl combine the cocoa powder, Matcha Tea Powder, flour, baking powder and salt: whisk to blend.  With the mixer on low-speed, add the dry ingredients to the bowl, I put in ½ cup at a time, with the wet ingredients’ and mix just until incorporated and a soft dough forms.  Gather the dough into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 350˚ degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  On a lightly floured work surface, I use the Pistachio Flour here; roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out as many pieces as you can, transferring the cut outs to the prepared baking sheet.  Gather and re-roll the dough scraps as needed.  If desired, use a wooden skewer to make a dotted pattern on the cookies/wafers.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheet a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once I have the cookies/wafers baked and cooling I start the ice cream:

 

Pistachio Matcha Tea Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

That is a mouth full!  First thing I do is make the cookies/wafers. The ice cream is my own original recipe.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups Milk
  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • ½ cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • One whole Vanilla Beans (the beans scraped out of bean)
  • ¼ cup Pistachio Paste
  • 1∕∕3 cup Pistachio Nuts
  • About 2 Tablespoon Matcha Tea Powder

 

  1. Heat the milk over medium heat in a heavy saucepan.  I scrape the beans from a large vanilla bean and put this in with the milk; I too add the emptied bean and leave in until the custard stage.
  2. I whisk the sugar and Matcha Tea Powder until well blended.  Beat together the egg yolks and sugar mixture in bowl, stir in half of the hot milk, blending well.  Add this back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
  3. Stir constantly, over medium until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of spoon.
  4. When thickened, take off heat and pour into bowl.  Stir in the cream using whisk and add the pistachio paste. Whisk until well blended.  Add the nuts and blend in.
  5. I usually make this a day ahead of time and  refrigerate, so it is cold when I put it in the ice cream maker, it makes it go so much faster.  Make the ice cream per the manufacturer’s instructions.

I take the cooled cookies/wafers and put ice cream (soft serve consistency) about two small scoops, on one of the wafers.  Spread it as needed to cover wafer. I will double this recipe for the ice cream next time I make the ice cream sandwiches; I would prefer more ice cream between the wafers.   I sandwich it in by putting a cookie/wafer on top.  I place these immediately in the freezer.  I have already put in a large cookie sheet before I started in the freezer.  I lay these ice cream sandwiches on the frozen cookie sheet as soon as I have each made. Once they are all frozen well I put them in a big freezer bag and take out just what I need when needed.

Too it might be easier if once you have your ice cream made to spread it in a jelly roll pan and freeze.  When frozen take the cutter(s) you used for the wafers and cut out ice cream shapes and put between two wafers.  Put them in freezer as soon as made.

These are small enough they won’t hurt your appetite and the small size means they are healthier, like the mini cupcakes.  They are fabulous….