Halva Ice Cream with Pistachios with homemade halva

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade halva ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Grease parchment paper well and line a pan with it, so the paper comes up over the sides.

   Baking panParchment paper
2. 2
   Put the sugar and water in a small pot, bring to a boil and cook another 6–8 minutes, until the syrup is thick and stringy.

   Small saucepanStove

   💡On a candy thermometer, the syrup is ready at 121°C.
3. 3
   Beat the tahini in the mixer bowl with the paddle on low speed, raise to medium and pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl.

   Stand mixer

   💡The syrup is extremely hot: pour it slowly in a thin stream, and don't touch it.
4. 4
   Beat until the syrup is fully absorbed into the tahini, add the vanilla and beat another 30–40 seconds.

   Stand mixer
5. 5
   Transfer the mixture to the pan and press down well.

   Baking pan
6. 6
   Leave at room temperature 6 hours at least, until the halva sets, and slice diced.

   Knife

   💡Halva keeps in the fridge up to two weeks.

For the Ice Cream

1. 7
   Whip the cold cream 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. 8
   Fold the condensed milk and vanilla into the whipped cream gently, so the whipped cream doesn't deflate.

   Silicone spatula

   💡Sweetened condensed milk is thick: its sugar keeps the ice cream soft and scoopable even without stirring in the freezer.

   💡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.
3. 9
   Fold in the halva and pistachios gently, until evenly distributed through the mixture.

   Silicone spatula
4. 10
   Transfer to loaf pan, cover and freeze at least 6 hours, without stirring.

   Loaf panFreezer