Homemade Halva Ice Cream with homemade raw tahini

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Ice Cream

1. 1
   Whip the cold cream with the sugar until firm and holding its shape.

   BowlHand mixerorStand mixerorWhisk

   💡Whip cream very cold, in a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, and stop when it holds firm: overwhipping turns it grainy and buttery.
2. 2
   Grind the sesame seeds in a powerful blender about 3 minutes, until smooth paste forms.

   Blender

   💡At first the sesame looks like dry crumbs: keep grinding, scraping down the sides, and after a few minutes it releases its oil and turns liquid.

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
3. 3
   Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. 4
   In another bowl, mix the cream cheese, tahini and vanilla with half of the halva until smooth.

   Bowl
5. 5
   Fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture gently, until the mixture is even.

   Silicone spatula

   💡Fold, don't stir: the air in the whipped cream is what replaces the ice cream machine.

   💡Fold with a spatula, in broad strokes from the bottom up, and stop when there are no streaks: vigorous mixing knocks the air out of the foam. Add whipped mixtures in stages: a quarter first, to lighten the mixture.
6. 6
   Transfer to Loaf pan, sprinkle the rest of the halva on top, cover and freeze at least 6 hours, without stirring.

   Loaf panFreezer
7. 7
   Move the ice cream from the freezer to the counter 5 minutes before serving, so it's easy to scoop.
8. 8
   Before serving, chop the pistachios and sprinkle over the top.