Creamy Avocado Custard with Candied Pistachio Brittle

I want to thank California Avocados for sponsoring this post, and helping me to share my passion for avocados and delicious food with y’all.

I really have the coolest job, y’all.

I am so blessed and I love it so much.

Before I get to the recipe for the Creamy Avocado Custard with Candied Pistachio Brittle, I want to tell y’all about the trip that inspired the recipe! (as a reward for sticking around, you get the recipe!)

Last month I got to join my fellow California Avocado Ambassadors: Shawn, Dara, Kristen, Ali and Chung-Ah in California for a fun filled Avocado packed weekend.

We toured an absolutely gorgeous Avocado grove and saw where the California Avocados we’ve been enjoying so much come from.

Meet Jim Loyd Butler, y’all.    He’s the spunkiest and sweetest non-southern gentleman that’s ever been and I kind of wanted him to adopt me. His family owns the grove and we spent a lovely afternoon listening to the history of his family, the land, and watching the passion for what he does light up his face and cause his eyes to twinkle in the most wonderful way.

We saw baby avocados that will take up to a year to grow before they’re picked and sent for packing for our enjoyment.

aren’t they the cutest things!

We watched the men picking the avocados faster than you’d have thought possible, and even though we didn’t climb the ladders – we each got to pick an avocado right off the tree and keep it!

I captured Dara picking her avocado on video with my iPhone, and I’m so glad that I did; her face after she gets it and turns around is priceless.

The avocado grove and factory tour were amazing.  Seeing the avocados journey from grove to factory and then seeing how they’re picked, washed, graded and packed for transport was fascinating.  If you want to read more about the tours, both Kristen and Ali wrote great recaps chock full of beautiful pics and tons of information.

Y’all know where my heart was during the trip 🙂 if you were following along on instagram you saw all the food.

The Food!

THE FOOD!

Tierra Sur at Herzog Vineyard and Wineries

Chef Gabe (who’s darling) created this amazing 4 course menu California Avocado inspired menu all from local sustainable resources, and even items from his own backyard!

Top Left: Wood Grilled Hen with Achiote-Marinated California Avocado Salsa Verde with corn and Red Pepper Sticks

Top Right:  His Abuela’s homemade corn tortilla with smoked sea salt, California Avocado, pickled onions and paper thin radishes seriously AMAZING: Kristen made her own twist on this with Smoky California Avocado Tortilla Stacks

Bottom Left:  California Avocado Frozen Custard with Candied Pistachio, Finger Lime and Grapefruit

Bottom Right: Local Sea Bass with California Avocado Bisque, Cucumber and Tangerine

That night we went to Industriel and had another truly gourmet and creative menu inspired by and featuring California Avocados.

I don’t know whether we had more fun with the food, people watching or the wicked decor of that place.  I did learn something at dinner that night – poached eggs are amazing.  Who knew?

Industriel

• Left: Seared Pork Belly, blistered tomatoes, potato bread, green peppercorn demi, California Avocado Emulsion
• Top Right: Watercress, pine nuts, blueberry, California  avocado, green beans, poached egg, green garlic vinaigrette
• Bottom Right: yellow mango lassi, kiwi, papaya, California Avocado, Carrot Foam

We were quite literally wined and dined, and it was exceptional.

I had so much fun hanging out with my fellow California Avocado Ambassadors and seeing the history and passion and love that goes into growing the California Avocados.

Each of us was challenged to create our own version of our favorite California Avocado recipe from the trip and share it with y’all.

Kristen and I both immediately jumped on the tortilla appetizer that Chef Gabe created for us, it was simple, delicious, perfection.

• Y’all really need to check out Kristen’s Smoky California Avocado Tortilla Stack recipe.  It literally made my mouth water.
• Ali made a Grilled Pineapple, Chicken and Avocado Salad that makes me think of sandy beaches, cool salt air, and bright bursting flavors.
• Dara was inspired by our California Avocado Pasta Salad Cook off afternoon with the Too Hot Tamales and 20 local LA area food bloggers and created this amazing Shrimp, Corn and California Avocado Pasta Salad
• Chung-Ah was also inspired by the afternoon with the Too Hot Tamales and she created this mouth watering Asian Pasta Salad
• Shawn loved the Mango Lassi from Industriel, and I think she’s sharing her recipe and recap next week – will update when that happens.

I was so intrigued by the Avocado Custard with the candied pistachios that Chef Gabe created for us, that I decided to try my hand at recreating that.

Chef Gabe topped his custard with Finger Limes, which are roughly the size of your pinky finger and when you scoop the citrus out it resembles caviar and has the most amazing flavor.

I couldn’t get my hands on any finger limes, so I decided to infuse the custard with lime flavor instead.

I recipe tested the living daylights out of this, y’all.  My freezers were packed with different incarnations and batches of green frozen avocados and my counter was covered with batches of brittle.

Nobody in my house was complaining 🙂

The consistency of this dish was the most difficult part for me.  I didn’t want it too thick and rich or even too creamy and I wanted it to have an infusion of lime, not have the lime bursting in the forefront doing a citrus tango on your tastebuds.

Batch 5 worked.  When I tested it again with batch 6, I knew I had it.

Happy kitchen dance ensued.

Have y’all ever tried to photograph a frozen item when it’s 105 outside?

You stuck around! YAY!

Forget stickers! For your reward, you get the recipe!!

Creamy Avocado Custard with Candied Pistachio Brittle

Creamy Avocado Sorbet with Candied Pistachio Brittle

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Avocado Custard

• 2 C milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 C sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 ripe California Avocado
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1 Tbsp lime juice

Candied Pistachio brittle

• 1 C sugar
• 1/4 C water
• 1/2 C unsalted pistachios

Instructions

Custard

• In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and salt. Whisk frequently until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a food process puree the avocado with the lime zest and lime juice, until smooth. Very slowly add in the milk mixture and puree until smooth. Pour into a freezer safe dish, cover and freeze for 12 to 24 hours.
• If the mixture isn't as smooth and creamy as you'd like, you can put it back into the food processor for another cycle.

Candied pistachio brittle

• Separate the pistachios 1/4 C and 1/4 C. Chop 1/4 C of the pistachios until they are finely chopped. Rough chop the other 1/4 C and set aside.
• Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
• In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. COMPLETELY DISSOLVED.
• Turn up the heat and boil until the mixture becomes a deep amber color; stirring frequently. This will take 8 to 12 minutes.
• Immediately remove from heat and pour onto the prepared baking pan.
• Using wooden spoons or spatulas gently spread the mixture out until it's a thin sheet of amber.
• Immediately pour the pistachios all over the brittle and allow to cool.
• Break into pieces and serve with the Avocado sorbet, or by itself.

Notes

You can make the brittle while the milk mixture is cooling.
If you can get your hands on finger limes, do it!

Author: Rachel