MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
Pistachio and Rocky Road are Mark’s favorites. Don’t let the color of this fool you. The stuff that’s bright green has food dye added to it. This stuff is the real deal. Use unsalted pistachios for best results. If you shell your own, avoid the nuts that have been dyed red.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shelled pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream

Place 1/2 cup of pistachio nuts and the corn syrup in a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the nuts are completely smooth.

Bring the half-and-half to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan. Add the sugar and stir until it is completely dis-
solved. Remove from the heat. With the food processor running, slowly pour the hot half-and-half into the nut
puree through the feed tube. Process until the mixture is completely smooth. Pour the nut mixture through a
strainer into a large clean bowl. Allow to cool slightly. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts, salt, and cream. Refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Stir the chilled cream, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons of nuts when the ice cream is semifrozen. Allow the machine to mix in the nuts. When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.