Black Sesame Oreo Ice Cream
As I wrote in a previous post, this recipe was the product of a recent “free-will” tear I’ve been on lately. (By the way, I’ve now spent like $150 more on sewing supplies. Does anyone have any good starter projects?) Half the time, the hardest part of developing a recipe is getting started — especially on a recipe you aren’t sure will even work in the end. Some recipes, like these buckeye cookies, are pretty surefire; I know, despite however many tests I have to do, that they will turn out eventually. Others, like this caramel cheddar snack mix, could have very well been buried in the recipe graveyard next to my “salt and vinegar potato chip” cookies.
But with this recipe, I didn’t drag my feet on starting because I didn’t treat it like my normal developing process. I didn’t write anything down or do loads of research — I just got into the kitchen and started working because I was genuinely curious and thought the experiment would be fun! Of course, after that I had to test and tweak until it was right, but at least the hard part, starting, was over. This is just one battle in the war of my creative process — analysis paralysis, imposter syndrome, writer’s block — and one I hope other creatives are inspired by. Sometimes the easiest way to get back to work is to treat it like anything other than work.
There are two black goos that make this recipe what it is. First black sesame seeds are ground up and sweetened to create a paste that is steeped in the hot custard base, imparting a earthy, nutty flavor. Then, Oreo cookies are ground up (in the same, unwashed food processor bowl) along with some other ingredients to create a smooth, sticky ripple that is folded into the ice cream.
Small amounts of xantham gum, corn syrup and honey prevent the formation of large ice crystals, keeping everything creamy and making the ice cream easy to scoop. You can find xantham gum at any baking specialty store, online, or if you’re lucky, the baking aisle of your grocery store. (I actually found some at Michaels.) But because I know it’s pretty uncommon, you can omit it in a pinch.
This recipe does require some kind of ice cream maker — whether it’s a KitchenAid freezer bowl attachment, a machine with a freezer bowl, or a machine with a compressor. A good stand mixer freezer bowl attachment is pretty affordable as are machines with freezer bowls (and people online are always selling both at steep discounts). Most people, unless they are ice cream connoisseurs making batch after batch, don’t need a machine with a compressor (which are bulky and expensive — so why do I have one?).
Want more recipes like this?
Makes 1 quart of ice cream
