Toasted Black Sesame Ice Cream (Printable version)

A rich, creamy frozen dessert infused with deep, nutty toasted black sesame flavor.

# What you need:

→ Black Sesame Paste

01 - 1/2 cup black sesame seeds
02 - 2 tablespoons honey
03 - 1 tablespoon neutral oil (grapeseed or sunflower)

→ Ice Cream Base

04 - 1 2/3 cups whole milk
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 4 large egg yolks
08 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# How To:

01 - Toast black sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
02 - Grind cooled seeds in a food processor or spice grinder until fine powder forms. Add honey and oil, blending until smooth paste develops. Set aside.
03 - Combine milk, cream, and half the sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until just steaming, without boiling.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar and salt until pale and thickened.
05 - Gradually pour hot milk mixture into yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
06 - Return mixture to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring with wooden spoon until thickened and coats back of spoon (approximately 175°F).
07 - Remove from heat. Stir in black sesame paste and vanilla extract, mixing until completely smooth.
08 - Strain custard through fine sieve into clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours until thoroughly chilled.
09 - Churn chilled mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until soft-serve consistency forms.
10 - Transfer to freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze at least 2 hours until firm enough to scoop.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The flavor is sophisticated yet comforting, like a dessert that knows exactly what its doing
  • The texture stays perfectly creamy even after days in the freezer
  • It feels fancy enough for dinner parties but simple enough for a random Tuesday craving
02 -
  • Tempering the eggs slowly prevents scrambling, which I learned the hard way with my first batch that turned into sweet scrambled egg soup
  • Straining the custard through a fine sieve is worth the extra minute for that silky smooth restaurant texture
  • The base needs to be completely cold before churning or you will end up with icy crystals instead of creamy goodness
03 -
  • Toast extra sesame seeds and store them in an airtight container for garnish and that extra hit of freshness
  • If your paste feels too thick to blend smoothly, add just a teaspoon more oil and keep going
  • The custard is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon and you can run a clean line through it

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