Persimmon Orange Flower Water Ice Cream with Pistachio Caramel

It is fuyu persimmon season once again, and I was very happy to get my hands on some!  The lovely tomato like bright orange fruits have such a delicate marshmallow like flavor, I love to simply slice one up and eat it plain.  But I thought they would be wonderful in ice cream!  I thought they would be especially good added to a coconut milk base laced with vanilla and orange flower water, since these are all very delicate flavors. So I got to work and made some! 

The ice cream had a beautiful light orange color, and what was even more beautiful was the flavor!  It tasted like marshmallows with a floral vanilla undertone, and was sweet but not overly so.  It was delicious on its own, but I decided that I wanted to make a pistachio caramel to compliment it.  I thought that the salty flavor of the pistachios would compliment the sweet caramel and ice cream well, as well as be beautiful with the green against the orange.  It was  a nice autumn dessert, and I was glad I tried doing something with the persimmons besides just eating them! 

To make base, combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Pour into a freezable container with a lid and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.

2 cups organic white granulated sugar

To make caramel, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the sugar, agave nectar and water to a boil, stirring well at first to dissolve the sugar. Turn down the heat to low and cook until the liquid is deep amber in color, about 15-20 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure even cooking. Remove the pan from heat. Very carefully (the mixture will bubble), stir in the coconut milk, earth balance butter vanilla, maple extract, and sea salt until smooth. Let cool before using.  Stir in pistacnios and serve with ice cream!