Sesame & Rosewater Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ronnybrook Dairy donated some fresh cream and half & half to 4local, an organic and local food group I run at Columbia. I immediately had to make ice cream, to celebrate the (almost) arrival of Spring and just because homemade ice cream is always delicious. I know egg yolks make super rich and delicious ice cream, BUT I already have a freezer full of egg whites, and using cornstarch can be just as delicious, while being cheaper, easier, and a little more chicken-friendly.

I had some tahini in the fridge, and felt inspire to make this simple sesame ice cream:

Sesame Ice Cream
2 cups whole milk or half & half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp tahini
1/4 cup or so toasted sesame seeds

Whisk the cornstarch and the 2 Tbsp of milk together. Bring the 2 C milk to a simmer, add the sugar & the cornstarch mixture plus a dash of salt. Whisk, but do not boil, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain into a bowl (preferably with a lid) and mix in the cream and sesame seeds. Fridge overnight, or cool in a water bath. Pour into your ice cream maker for 20-30 minutes.

Rosewater Cookies
3 oz butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup almond meal (I used slivered almonds and a food processor)
3/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp rose water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the egg and other wet ingredients. Mix in the dry. Fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. To bake: heat the oven to 350 and roll about 1 Tbsp of dough into a ball. To make crispy cookies (perfect for ice cream sandwiches) flatten the balls to about 1/2 cm. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to brown.

Let cool. Fill with a big scoop of sesame ice cream, roll the sides in sesame seeds, and melt into bliss.