This being my husbands favorite dessert says enough, since he is nowhere near what I consider to be a sweets lover. Him being Persian as well, adds even more pressure on me to make the perfect Persian Ice Cream. Persian ice cream is a fragrant, creamy, and rich ice cream, having saffron as one of its necessary ingredient to be considered Persian. Short of crossing an ocean, it is virtually impossible to get this delectable rose water anointed and saffron speckled Persian ice cream worth the caloric splurge. Until now, that is.
YOU'LL NEED
Half a pint of vanilla bean ice cream
Half a pint of pistachio ice cream Pinch of saffron threads (ground to make about ½ teaspoon ground saffron) 2 tablespoons rose water ¼ cup of roughly chopped roasted, shelled pistachios
Empty the ice cream in to a large bowl and allow it to melt for 10 to 15 minutes so it's easy to mix with other ingredients. Be careful not to let it melt completely as it might refreeze with water crystals and you want it to be as creamy as possible.
Add a quarter teaspoon of granulated saffron into a cup win a little bit of warm water and stir until it mostly dissolves, leaving a lovely deep yellow dye. If you have larger pieces of saffron you can use the back of a teaspoon to grind it down before adding it to the water.
Let it brew for 1 to 2 minutes and then pour it into the bowl with the ice cream. Mix thoroughly so the ice cream turns and even yellow color throughout, giving it that distinctive bastani tinge.
Next add the rosewater and continue to mix thoroughly. This will produce a wonderful light floral flavor that's particularly refreshing on hot summer days.
then, chop up some pistachios and blend it all in (Depending on you and your guests' personal preference, you may wish to add the pistachio nuts now so they are infused throughout the ice cream, or you can add them later as a topping)
Put back in freezer to harden a bit and ready to serve!
