Black Sesame Ice Cream
User Reviews
5
Black Sesame Ice Cream
Description
Black Sesame Ice Cream brings a distinctive nutty taste from black sesame paste or freshly roasted and ground black sesame seeds. The recipe uses whole milk, egg yolks, sugar, and heavy cream to form a custard ice cream base, cooked gently to thicken without curdling. The smooth black sesame mixture ensures rich flavor and an even texture once frozen. Flavor is subtly enhanced by a pinch of sea salt. The preparation avoids boiling the milk and emphasizes gradual heating to maintain a silky custard.
The ice cream yields a creamy cold dessert with the unique earthy notes of black sesame, which contrasts pleasantly with sweet, fresh fruit or crunchy sesame tuiles. This combination brings complementary textures and flavors, making it versatile for serving as a simple dessert or part of a more elaborate presentation.
Choosing pre-made Japanese black sesame paste simplifies preparation and ensures a well-roasted flavor; however, toasting whole seeds and grinding them at home is also effective. A note is made that black tahini can be a lighter substitute. The ice cream base should be cooled completely and chilled before freezing for optimal texture. Leftover egg whites from other recipes such as the suggested tuiles can be utilized.
Ingredients
- 75 g (3oz/ ½ cup) black sesame paste available from Japanese speciality stores, Japanese, or whole black sesame seeds
- 500 ml (18 fl oz/ 2¼ cups) milk full-fat, whole
- 5 egg organic, yolk
- 110 g (4oz/ ½ cup) sugar
- 100 ml (3.5 fl oz/ ½ cup) heavy cream 30% fat, aka whipping cream
- pinch salt Fleur de sel, Celtic sea salt
Instructions
- Open Sesame (sorry, couldn't resist).
- If using whole seeds, dry roast black sesame seeds in a non-stick frying pan for 4-5 minutes then grind in a coffee grinder (optional step but recommend doing this to bring out extra flavour). Otherwise use pre-packaged black sesame paste found in Japanese speciality stores.
- Gently heat the milk in a heavy-based saucepan (do not boil). Meanwhile, in a large bowl with a lid, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Add the black sesame powder and salt, whisking until smooth.
- Pour about half of the hot milk on to the black sesame mixture, whisking until combined then transfer back to the saucepan. Whisk constantly to keep the mixture smooth and heat over a medium heat just until thickened then remove from the heat to avoid curdling the eggs. At this point, the mixture should smoothly coat a spoon to show that it's ready.
- Add the cold cream, set aside to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.
- Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions, then freeze for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
- Use pre-roasted black sesame paste from Japanese stores for convenience and best flavor.
- If unavailable, dry roast black sesame seeds before grinding to enhance the aroma and taste.
- Black tahini paste can substitute Japanese black sesame paste for a lighter flavor.
- This ice cream pairs well with fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, or redcurrants, or with crispy sesame tuiles to add texture contrast.
- Consider using leftover egg whites from this recipe to make French sesame tuiles.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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