Black Sesame Ice Cream

Ahhh, remember summer?

Doesn't it seem like just a month ago we stood outside together, stretching our long, slim, tanned limbs, getting ready for a five in the morning run, laughing, tossing our lemon-scented hair?

I mean, that is how I remember it.  I definitely had some tanned limbs, at least.

Now it's dark by five!   Curse you, living slightly further north than I used to live!

In Oregon people like, stand on the corner with coats full of black market vials of Vitamin D.  It's some shady business.*

Anyway.  One last throwback recipe to summer, shall we?

One more frozen dish?  For the cold, wet road?

Have you tasted black sesame?

When I taught English in South Korea, one of the (many many) things I loved about the food was the
pastries.

And one of the (many many) things I loved about the pastries was the color.  The new, strange, different colors.  Things I'd never seen in America.

The smoky green of matcha.  The Barney purple of taro.  The brick red of sweet adzuki beans.

And the steely gray of black sesame.

Some of you may know this flavor already.  If you don't, don't be afraid.  It is nutty and smoky, and will taste slightly familiar and slightly strange all at once.

It is worth doing, my friends.  Try something new.  I bet you'll like it.

Black Sesame Ice Cream (borrowed from Nami  Who posted it here!)

2 Tbsp. roasted black sesame seeds (can be found at Asian stores)
1/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 2/3 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. black sesame seed paste (neri goma)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup minus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Pinch of salt


If the black sesame seeds are not roasted yet, put the sesame in a (non-stick) fry pan over medium heat and stir until they start popping. They will start releasing a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and cool. (If you do not have black sesame seed paste, substitute with 4 Tbsp. of black sesame seeds.)  Grind black sesame seeds very finely.

Whisk sugar and egg yolk together until pale yellow. (If you do not have black sesame seed paste, add 1/2 cup sugar instead.)

Add in honey, black sesame seeds, and black sesame paste and whisk until well combined.

Bring the milk to a simmer. And add the milk into the sesame mixture in a slow stream.

Pour the mixture into a small pot over medium-low heat. Stir until the custard thickens and reach around 176 F. Don’t exceed 181 F.  Remove from heat and cool down the pot in a large bowl filled with iced water. Add vanilla.

Whisk together the heavy cream and a pinch of salt until peaks form.  Add the whipped cream into the cooled sesame mixture.  Fold in but do not over mix it.

Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) until completely cold.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions (usually about 25 minutes).

*Okay, NOW you can applaud.