Spicie Foodie ™

Healthy, Fresh, and Delicious Recipes to Spice up Your Kitchen ™

Black Sesame Ice Cream, A Guest Post By Just One Cookbook

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Today I have another special guest post for you, my sweet friend Nami of Just One Cookbook. Though I have only know Nami for a short time she has quickly become someone I truly adore and respect, and who’s friendship means alot. Her talent in the kitchen and behind the camera is very impressive and admirable. As you can imagine Just One Cookbook is one of my favorite blogs, not to mention the best Japanese food blog around. Thank you so much Nami for helping me celebrate 3 year of blogging with your special Japanese treat.

black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie

Hello everyone! My name is Nami and you might remember Nancy’s Favorite Foodies Series featuring my blog back in May. I cook, photograph, and write quick and easy Japanese recipes on Just One Cookbook.

Today I’m really excited to be here to celebrate Nancy’s 3 year blog anniversary. I’ve known her for only a year but she’s been a kind, loyal, and supportive friend as I ventured into blogging and I cherish our friendship very much. Just like many of you, I’m one of her fans and I have been especially inspired by her beautiful and unique food photography that gives strong impressions to me every time I visit. Nancy, congratulations for your big milestone and I look forward to many more of your beautiful posts.

For this guest post, I’ve prepared Black Sesame Ice Cream recipe, which is one of the most popular Japanese flavored ice cream, along with Green Tea Ice Cream and Red Bean Ice Cream.

If you are familiar with Asian desserts, you are probably familiar with black sesame flavored sweets. I love what black sesame paste can do to change the dynamic of a dessert completely. Plain cake, cookies and ice cream are transformed into a mysterious dark gray color, and they surprise you with unique nutty toasty flavor.

One of the key ingredients for this black sesame ice cream is the Asian black sesame paste which is sold in jars at Japanese (or Chinese) grocery stores. The black sesame paste is different from black tahini because black sesame seeds are roasted before they are ground.

black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie

A jar of Black Sesame Paste (Neri Goma)

Have you had any black sesame dessert before? I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do in Japan, and thank you Nancy for having me!

black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, Spicie Foodie

Black Sesame Ice Cream
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. roasted black sesame seeds
70g (2.5oz, roughly 1/3 cup) sugar
3 egg yolks
400 ml (roughly 1 2/3 cup) whole milk
2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. black sesame seed paste (neri goma)
1 tsp. vanilla
200 ml (Take away 2 Tbsp. of 1 cup) heavy cream
Pinch of salt

black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
Directions:

1. 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.)

2. Grind black sesame seeds very finely.
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
3. Whisk sugar and egg yolk together until pale yellow. (If you do not have black sesame seed paste, add 1/2 cup sugar instead.)
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
4. Add in honey, black sesame seeds, and black sesame paste and whisk until well combined.
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
5. Bring the milk to a simmer. And add the milk into the sesame mixture in a slow stream.
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
6. Pour the mixture into a small pot over medium-low heat. Stir until the custard thickens and reach around 80C (176F). Don’t exceed 83C (181F) since egg yolk will get cooked and to avoid salmonella, egg must be cooked for at least 1 minute over 75C.
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
7. Remove from heat and cool down the pot in a large bowl filled with iced water. Add vanilla.
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
8. Whisk together the heavy cream and a pinch of salt until peaks form.
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
9. Add the whipped cream into the cooled sesame mixture.
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
10. Fold in but do not over mix it.
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
11. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) until completely cold.
12. Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions (usually about 25 minutes).
black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie
13. If you are not going to use ice cream maker, then transfer the mixture to a container and put it in a freezer. Stir every few hours (3-4 times) to break up the ice crystals until it’s completely frozen.

Note:  To pasteurize the eggs, heat the custard to 75C and keep at that temperature for at least 1 minute, monitor with a cooking thermometer. If the custard goes gets hotter than 83C, the eggs will scramble.

Source: Adapted from a Japanese blog bonappetit

Enjoy!

black sesame ice cream, Japanese, Just One Cookbook, spicie Foodie

 

Thank you Nami, it has been such a pleasure and honor having you here.

 

Stay connected to Nami and Just One Cookbook on Twitter – Facebook – Pinterest – Google+  – RSS


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Comments

  2. I love Nami’s blog and recipes. This ice cream is really original and fabulous. Great guest post.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  4. Nancy, first – congratulation with your 3 year blog anniversary! And second, yes, you are very special friend and so is Nami! I am very happy to know you both. Your recipes and photography very inspiring, thank you.

    • Hi Yelena,
      Thank you so much! It’s been such a joy discovering your blog and your phenomenal photography. Also it’s been a pleasure connecting with you.

  5. Oh, Nami, I’m so happy to be getting to know you. First, you told me about yuzu juice; now, black sesame paste. I must get myself to an Asian market.

    I’ve never seen black sesame ice cream but I just know I would love it!

    • Hi Joan,

      So glad you have met Nami. I’ve learned so much from her too. You should really try the ice cream. Black sesame ice cream is one of my favorites, it tastes so good:)

  6. I’m so happy to see Nami featured here – she’s one of my favorite bloggers as well and she always has something tempting to share. Like this ice cream – wow! I’ve never seen ice cream this color or texture before and it looks so good…

  7. Black sesame in ice cream is new to me. Kudos to Nami for creating such a unique dessert. Looks fantastic :)

  8. Nancy thanks for having Nami here, she is pretty special. This ice cream looks so mysterious, I can only imagine that it tastes as good as it looks. Great one Nami!

  9. I’m wowed by the color of this ice cream and the flavor is so unique! Lovely guest post Nami and Nancy -thanks for bringing Nami to your blog for your big celebration;-)

  10. This sounds so lovely. I haven’t thought of black sesame paste in years, as I no longer have access to it. But when I lived in Bahrain, a Chinese friend of mine was friends with Cathay Pacific air crew who kept us supplied with fabulous Chinese goodies, from HK goose wings to the most delicious tiny dumplings filled with black sesame paste which my friend cooked in a sweet ginger broth. Oh, yum. What a pleasant food and friend memory. Thanks.

    • Hi Victoria! Oh those dumplings with black sesame paste in sweet ginger broth sound wonderful… I’ll figure out how to make black sesame paste at home soon – it shouldn’t be too hard to make. :-)

  11. What great photos! The colour of the ice cream was a little suspect during the making but the finished product looks delicious – a little bit like a liquorice ice cream but I’m sure the taste is totally different.

  13. Nancy, I could not agree with you more.. Nami is awesome!! Her photography is exquisite and this ice cream is simply breath-taking! I would have never thought to make black sesame ice cream… but I want to try it so badly after seeing her make it. Well done ladies!!

  14. What a joy to find Nancy and Nami together! This has quite made my blogging day :D ! As both of you know by now a dessert and cake person I am not – but this looks so unusual [how come during three decades of continuously travelling in the East we never met up?!] and photographs so beautifully that I shall just have to try – and am sure shall like :) ! What colours!!

    • Hi Eha! You are always so kind, thank you. We have lots of black sesame desserts in Japan, and hope you will get to try some one day. Ice cream, macarons, chiffon cake…everything looks good. Oh but you are not dessert person! LOL. Well, I am not a huge dessert “making” person (if there is such a word…), but I love good dessert… :-)

  15. Dear Nancy,
    Thank you so much for this opportunity. This was a memorable experience in my blogging history. :-) Congratulations again on your 3 amazing years and I have A LOT to learn from you, about blogging, photography, and everything! Stay in touch… :-)

    • Hi Nami,

      The pleasure and honor is all mine. Thank you for helping me celebrate with one of my favorite ice cream flavors. You’re the best Nami and keep up the fantastic job you do on your blog. Definitely will stay in touch:)

  16. Hi Nancy, you have a lovely guest blogger here:D and I can safely say this sesame ice cream must surely taste delicious! I have tasted this flavor before and love it very much!

  17. Hello Nancy, I came here from Nami’s blog and I am really glad I got to discover your wonderful blog.
    Congratulations on your 3 years of blogging and I look forward to following your new posts and exploring the old ones

  19. i just loved the colors of the ice cream…. beautiful blue shades in the pics… nami has captured the final shots beautifully.

  21. Two wonderful bloggers in one place–love it! Nami, my list of recipes that I want to try from your blog keeps growing. I’ll have to tackle it soon and this absolutely gorgeous bowl of ice cream is not helping at all to whittle it down. :) It’s okay, keep them coming!

    Nancy, you’re a constant inspiration, too. Congrats again on three years of great blogging sharing with us great recipes but helping us to overcome our photography challenges. Looking forward to visiting here for years to come. :)

  22. oo this looks so good! i really find the unique (to my eye, anyway) colors of asian cuisine so intriguing. the green tea and red bean nami mentions, and this lovely, quiet grey. i’ve never had sesame flavored sweets, but i will definitely be checking my local asian grocery for it. thanks nami! and nancy!

    • Hi Anna! Black sesame treats are pretty common in Japan, and I hope they will slowly appear outside of Japan and many people can try. It’s unique and there is not much negativity. If you like nutty flavor, definitely you will enjoy!

  24. Such a great post! Love the color of the ice cream. I’ve never used black sesame seeds in ice cream, but now I need to try them. And the pictures are wonderful. Thanks for this.

  26. Oh my goodness Nami! I have never had this believe it or not, the cream tea and red bean are my favorite ice creams, and now I must try this one! And the photos are just beautiful…love the soft lulling colors!
    Another delightful guest Nancy!

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