Toasted Black Sesame Ice Cream

August 28, 2023

This refreshing recipe for black sesame ice cream is made with heavy cream, sugar, and eggs, flavored with black sesame seeds.

Tools you will need

Ice cream machine – This is literally the best purchase I’ve ever made. I love my ice cream machine so much. It’s a great investment if you love ice cream as much I do.
2 mixing bowls – One for whisking the eggs and one for cooling the cream before churning the ice cream.
Spatula – I used a spatula to mix the cream after I add the egg and sugar mixture into the cream. The reason for this is that it controls the amount of bubbles that appear in the cream.
Spice grinder or food processor – My spice grinder is one of my favorite kitchen tools of all time. I use it way more than I thought I would. You can use it for grinding spices, coffee beans, and sesame seeds! If you don’t have a spice grinder, I would recommend using a food processor.
Sauce pan – Used for heating up the cream
Whisk – I would highly recommend using a whisk to combine the eggs and sugar. You want to whip the eggs and sugar until it reaches a smooth and creamy texture.
Immersion blender (optional) – I personally like using my immersion blender to incorporate the black sesame seeds into the creme anglaise. The reason why is that it incorporates the black sesame seeds way better than a normal spoon.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Asian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 324kcal

Equipment

Ice Cream Machine
Ice Cream Scoop
Ice Cream Container
Spice Grinder

Ingredients

1/4 cup black sesame seeds powdered
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Toast the black sesame seeds for 15-20 seconds until they smell toasty. Use a spice grinder to turn your black sesame seeds into powder. Set aside.
Add the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl. Whisk until a smooth consistency and the egg mixture becomes a lighter yellow (~1 minute). Set aside.
Add whole milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract to a medium pan. Heat cream until hot and smoke is being emitted from the cream. Turn off the heat.
Add 1/4 cup of the hot cream to the eggs and whisk until it turns a smooth and uniform yellow color. The goal of this step is to raise the temperature of the eggs, so they don’t completely cook in the hot cream. Pour the eggs into the pan with the hot cream. Add the vanilla extract.
Turn the heat back on and heat the cream over low heat until it reaches 170 degrees F. A good way to test if it’s done is to coat the back of a spoon with the cream and pull your finger through the cream. A done cream should have a smooth, thick trail that doesn’t break. Take the cream off the heat. Strain the cream into a large bowl.
Add in your black sesame seed powder and mix well to incorporate. I would recommend using an immersion blender to incorporate.
Cool the cream down to room temperature and then put it in the fridge to cool completely. The cream should be in the fridge for about 6-8 hours. This is a long time, but this makes the ice cream really creamy.
Pour the cream into an ice cream maker and churn for 15-20 minutes. The resulting ice cream should be slightly harder than soft serve.
Transfer the cream into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight before serving.

Notes

Temper your eggs – Just like in creme brûlées, it is important to temper your eggs for the cream. Add 1/4 cup of hot cream to your egg and sugar mixture. Whisk until everything is well combined and no white streaks remain. Now, it is safe to add your egg mixture to the hot cream.
Make sure your cream is cold before churning – You will get better results if your cream is cold. Put your finished cream into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours to cool it down before adding it to the ice cream machine. This is a lot of time but this makes the ice cream really creamy.
Be careful not to over churn – The maximum amount of time you should churn your ice cream is 20 minutes. The more you churn your ice cream, the harder it becomes. A done ice cream will have the consistency of something slightly harder than soft serve.

Author: Becca Du