Black Sesame Ice Cream

Method16 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Before starting, place a wide metal storage container with a lid in the freezer to chill. Keep the milk, cream and pasteurized yolks refrigerated until needed.

2. 2

   Step 2: Toast the 1½ tbsp black sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat, stirring or shaking continuously. Remove from the heat when fragrant, after a few minutes, before the seeds burn.

   Uses 1½ tbsp black sesame seeds

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Grind the toasted seeds from step 2 with a mortar and pestle until finely powdered.

   Uses toasted black sesame seeds

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Transfer the ground seeds from step 3 to a small bowl. Mix in the separate ½ tbsp paste sugar and ½ tbsp freshly boiled water until a paste forms. Add a little more freshly boiled water only if needed to loosen it.

   Uses ground toasted black sesame · ½ tbsp sugar · ½ tbsp freshly boiled water · A little more freshly boiled water, only if needed to loosen the sesame paste

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Combine 200 ml whole milk, 200 ml heavy cream of at least 35% milk fat and ¼ tsp vanilla essence in a saucepan. Heat gently on low, stirring, to 60–70 °C (140–158 °F), with small bubbles around the edge. Do not boil. Remove from the heat and stir occasionally to prevent a skin.

   Uses 200 ml whole milk · 200 ml heavy cream (35% milk fat or higher) · ¼ tsp vanilla essence

   
6. 6

   Step 6: In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the 2 pasteurized egg yolks, the separate 70 g custard sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch and all of the sesame paste from step 4 until smooth.

   Uses 2 pasteurized egg yolk · 70 g sugar · 1 tsp cornstarch · homemade black sesame paste

   
7. 7

   Step 7: While whisking the bowl from step 6, add a few tablespoons of the hot milk-and-cream mixture from step 5 to temper the yolks. Keep the remaining hot milk mixture for the next step.

   Uses sesame and pasteurized-yolk mixture · A few tablespoons from the heated milk mixture

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Gradually whisk the remaining hot milk mixture from step 5 into the tempered bowl from step 7.

   Uses tempered sesame custard base · The hot milk mixture remaining after the tempering draw

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Wipe out the saucepan and pour the complete combined mixture from step 8 back into it.

   Uses combined sesame custard base

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Return the saucepan to low or medium-low heat. Stir continuously, scraping the bottom, until the mixture thickens to a custard consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.

    Uses sesame custard base in saucepan

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Transfer the thickened custard from step 10 to a heatproof bowl and cover its surface with plastic wrap. Cool promptly; a cold-water bath with the optional ice around the bowl speeds this up. Keep bath water out of the custard and avoid sudden temperature changes if using glass.

    Uses thickened sesame custard · ice cubes (to speed up cooling, optional) · Cold water as needed for an external cooling bath

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Once the custard is cool to the touch, pour it into the chilled storage container from step 1, cover and put it in the coldest part of the freezer for 30 minutes.

    First ice cream mixing check · 30 minUses Cooled custard lifted out of its external bath

    
13. 13

    Step 13: Whisk the ice cream after its first 30-minute freeze, scraping the frozen edges into the center. Return it to the freezer and repeat mixing every 30–45 minutes, about six mixes in total over roughly 3–4 hours. Restart this interval reminder between mixes; after the sixth mix, continue to step 14 without restarting it. Switch to a spatula as the mixture becomes too thick to whisk.

    Repeat ice cream mixing check · 30 minUses partially freezing sesame ice cream

    
14. 14

    Step 14: After the repeated mixing in step 13, fold with a spatula if needed, cover and freeze for another 2–3 hours until fully set. Check from 2 hours and continue if your freezer needs longer.

    Check final ice cream set · 120 minUses repeatedly mixed sesame ice cream

    
15. 15

    Step 15: When ready to serve, leave the fully frozen ice cream from step 14 on the counter for about 5–10 minutes, just until soft enough to scoop.

    Check scoopable ice cream · 5 minUses fully set sesame ice cream

    
16. 16

    Step 16: Scoop and serve the ice cream. Return any remaining ice cream to its covered freezer container promptly; the author recommends enjoying it within 2 weeks for best flavor and texture.

    Uses scoopable black sesame ice cream