makes 650ml
I wish I could tell you some wonderful tale of how I was inspired to make this but I don’t have one. I’ve long known that coffee soaked dates are a Middle Eastern classic and delicious too, I’m also a big fan of sesame in all it’s forms. This recipe was born out of a burst of creativity with no particular direction other than self-indulgence.
Ingredients
Step one
- 100g | 3 ½oz fresh pitted medjool dates
- 100ml | 3 ½ fl oz very strong espresso coffee
- 15 green cardamom pods, roughly crushed
- ½ cinnamon stick.
- Zest from one lemon
Pour the coffee over the dates and cardamon and leave to infuse for 24 to 48 hours, the longer the better.
Step 2
- 200g | 7oz tahini
- 200g | 7oz fresh double cream
- 200g | 7oz condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons of milk
Method
Make a puree by pressing the date and coffee mixture through a sieve with the back of a spoon discarding the skin and spices set the puree aside in the fridge until needed
In a large bowl mix the tahini, cream, condensed milk, salt, and milk together, the mixture will thicken slightly as the tahini meets the cream. If you have an ice cream maker, pour the sesame mixture into your ice cream maker, and churn until it’s creamy and almost doubled in size, this ice cream won’t set hard. Once the ice cream is ready, pour half of it into a freezer-proof container, and add half of the date mixture on top. Run a spoon through the sesame ice cream and date puree for a ripple effect, repeat the process with the remaining ice cream and date mixtures. Place the ice cream into the freezer and freeze for at least six hours before serving.