Saffron, Rose Water, Pistachio, Ice Cream
Today was my son’s first day back to school after what seemed to be a very short and quick summer. Since he is still four years old, he has another year of preschool before starting kindergarten. Thankfully, it was not his first time in school so there were no tears, although it did bring back some memories of his first day of school. I think since he’s my first child, we were both too attached and not ready for it. The good thing is that I will be better prepared when it's time for my younger son to start school. I think he will also be better prepared since he’s been seeing his brother being dropped off and picked up :)
As summer is officially coming to an end, I am working on one of my favorite ice cream recipes. Let’s all end the summer in a right way with some middle easter/persian ice cream.
Afghan sheer yakh or persian ice cream is actually the only ice cream I truly enjoy. The rosewater and saffron flavors topped with pistachios is simply irresistible. Not only is it tasty, but so beautiful to look at. The saffron gives it such a lovely yellow color and the pistachios add a pop of green. I remember, as a little girl this was my treat every time I was being good. You can buy this ice cream at persian or middleeastern grocery stores. I do like to make this quick version myself whenever the craving hits. It is not the authentic way to prepare this ice cream, but it definitely tastes great and is super simple to make. It does not require too much labor and no need to heat the milk over a stove. Traditionally, it’s accompanied by two waffles in an ‘ice cream sandwich’. My kids love graham crackers, so I make my sandwiches using graham crackers. I love how it’s prepared in minutes and tastes so great.
Pistachios add so much flavor and texture to this ice cream. Did you know that pistachios are one of the world’s oldest nuts. They have been grown in the middle east for thousands of years. I love adding pistachios to my recipes. In our family we eat pistachios alone as a snack regularly. They are loaded with nutrients, low in calories yet high in protein, they are rich in fiber as well, which can help you feel full and help manage your weight, and they may help lower blood sugar. You should incorporate pistachios in your diet, they are fun to eat and delicious.
The Recipe
PREPERATION 10 minutes
FREEZE TIME ~ 6-8 hours
SERVINGS Serves 10-12
Ingredients
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- ½ cup of condensed milk
- ⅓ cup of chopped pistachios
- 2 tsp of cardamom powder
- 1 Tbsp of rose water
- ¼ tsp of saffron, finely powdered
- Graham crackers
Preparation
1. In a small bowl add saffron and a tablespoon of hot water. Mix until the dye comes out, a lovely yellow color.
2. Add the heavy cream into a bowl and mix until the texture develops soft peaks.
3. Add in the condensed milk and slowly mix. Mix in the rosewater, saffron, cardamom, and pistachios.
3. Line a baking pan with some plastic wrap and line the bottom with a layer of graham crackers. Overline the pan so that you can easily remove the ice cream bars from the pan once frozen. Add the cream mixture over the crackers and smear evely. Line the top with another layer of graham crackers. It’s important to make sure the graham crackers are lined evely as you want your sandwiches to come out nicely.
4. Use the overhanging plastic wrap to cover the top of the pan.
5. Put in freezer for at least 6 hours or until set.
6. Cut bars using a knife. Sprinkled some powdered sugar over them and Enjoy!
Delightful!
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