Green tea will forever remind me of Arashiyama, Kyoto. Home tothe famed Arashiyama bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji Temple, the crowds come in droves to Arashiyama daily, but he whocomes must also return home, and that’s when the beauty of this incredible placetruly comes alive.
Coming direct from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Arashiyama is like a botanistsdream. While the incredible sights and sounds of the Tsukiji fish market did much to heighten our senses, Arashiyama did much to imbibe our souls with a sense that all is right with the world.
The day arrival by trainsaw us met by many a tourist clambering across the cobble stones in ‘traditional’ kimonos, socks and wooden shoes they had hired for the day. They clippity-cloppedthrough the temple gardens and bamboo grove chattering with glee and delighted when people asked them for a photo.
I was disappointed, thinking we wouldn’t get a moment to ourselves, but the temple gardens are large and explore them we did.The bamboo grove was crowded beyond belief and so a plan was hatched to return at 6am the following morning knowing we were staying at a nearby ryokan. Our plan paid off as the ethereal nature of the grove was finally revealed to us with the sun peeking through the bamboo, justbefore the trains started delivering tourists.
The decision tospend a night at Arashimaya Benkei was an indulgence that I wasn’t sure would pay off. But we went all out and booked a river view room with a traditional kaiseki meal, slept on tatami mats and soaked in both our private bath, and a private onsen. The Kaiseki meal was art – challenging to eat at times, deliciously satisfying at others, but alwaysthought provoking.
Sitting in our room, overlooking boats put-put past us on the gorgeous Hozu-gawa River, drinking green tea, and talking about life, made this one of our best travelling experiences – with Arashimaya one of our favourite locations.
Our trip to Japan was almost a year ago now and I find my mind wandering back to Arashiyama. So much so that I recently felt the need to create something in honour of its beauty. Thisice cream sandwich with black sesame no-churn ice cream and green tea and black sesame biscuits just somehow felt like the right fit.
The cookies are sweet and slightly salty with the unmistakable hit of matcha, and the homemade black sesame ice cream is a little sweeter than store bought black sesame ice cream because it uses the no churn method (saving you oodles of time and effort).
While these can be made up and kept in the freezer until you are ready to eat them (they make 10 in total), I fear they will not last long. Like us, you may well find an excuse to eat them every night after dinner.
Black Sesame and Green Tea Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Black Sesame Ice Cream
- 1 x 395g tin sweetened condensed milk
- 6 tablespoons black sesame paste (purchased from asian supermarkets)
- 1/2 cup black sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 cups thickened cream
Green Tea and Black Sesame Biscuits
- 250g plain flour
- 2 heaped tablespoons matcha powder (green tea)
- 170g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup icing sugar
- Pinch sea salt flakes
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup black sesame seeds
Directions
NO-CHURN BLACK SESAME ICE CREAM
Combine the condensed milk and store bought black sesame paste in a bowland mix until well combined.
Place toasted black sesame seeds in a spice grinder and grind to a paste, then set aside.
Whip thickened cream in a separate bowl until firm peaks form, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the condensed milkmixture and stir till combined. Add the remaining condensed milk mixture and the fresh black sesame paste and fold into the mixture till just combined (the fresh black sesame paste will stir into the mixture in delicious chunks).
Pour into a lined jelly roll pan and freeze overnight.
GREEN TEA AND BLACK SESAME BISCUITS
Preheat oven to 180° Celsius (350° Fahrenheit).
Sift the flour and matcha powder together into a bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter, icing sugar and salt and beatuntil pale yellow(about 5-7 minutes). Add the egg yolks one at a time with the mixer running until combined, then add the flour and matcha powder a little at time until the mixture iseven in colour and becomes a soft crumbly dough.
Turn out the dough and shape into one 8cm diameter log. Sprinkle the black sesame evenly in one layer on a baking tray and then roll the outside of the log in black sesame so that it coats the outside. Wrap the dough tightly in clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes in the freezer until firm enough to slice.
Slice the log into 20 even slices (about 1cm thick) and place onto paper lined baking trays leaving space between them for spread. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the edges darken, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
ASSEMBLY
Use achef's ring the size of the biscuits tocut 10 circles of black sesame icecream. Sandwich eachice cream round between two green tea and black sesame biscuits and then wrap in baking paper and store in the freezer until ready to eat!
FAQs
Although this ice cream is so good on its own, we love to add fresh seasonal berries. Black sesame goes particularly well with berries or fruit with a little acidity to bring out the flavours. Enjoy with fresh strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries - all with a little acidity.
What is the flavor of black sesame ice cream? ›
The flavor and color of this ice cream hinge on high-quality Japanese-style black sesame paste, which is made from roasted, un-hulled black sesame seeds. The jet-black paste is rich, intensely nutty, and pleasantly bitter, like dark chocolate.
What does black sesame go with? ›
Myo notes that its flavor profile is complementary to warm flavors like vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate. In the form of seeds, it can add a new dimension to homemade granola; streusels for coffeecakes, muffins, loaves, or cobblers; and buttery cookies like sugar and shortbread.
What is in the middle of an ice cream sandwich? ›
An ice cream sandwich is a frozen dessert consisting of ice cream between two biscuits, wafers, cookies, or baked goods.
What two ice cream flavors go together? ›
If you feel like experiencing something new, the following ideas will help.
- Buttered Popcorn. Perfect for a movie night. ...
- Chocolate and Coconut. ...
- Salted Nutella. ...
- Chocolate and Vanilla. ...
- Coffee and Oreo. ...
- Peanut Butter and Jelly. ...
- Lemon Sorbet and Cheesecake. ...
- The co*ke Float.
Black Sesame Seed Benefits
Because black sesame seeds and white sesame seeds come from the same plant, their health benefits are quite similar. However, because black sesame seeds retain their outer shells, they offer enhanced nutrition and increased levels of plant compounds, vitamins, and minerals.
What is black people's favorite ice cream flavor? ›
TikToker Goes Viral For Explaining How Butter Pecan Ice Cream Became A Cultural Favorite Among Black People.
What is black Hawaii ice cream? ›
Black Hawaii the black ice cream revolution created by Prodotti Rubicone. Natural black color thanks to charcoal. Unique taste with coconut water and raw cocoa beans. Lactose free, gluten free, with prebiotic fibers. Beneficial detox effect.
Is black sesame just toasted white sesame? ›
The most apparent difference between these two seeds is their color. Black sesame seeds have a deeper color and almost always have the hull on. White sesame seeds have their hulls removed and reveal the inner white part of the seed. Removing the hull not only changes the color it also changes the nutritional value.
Is black sesame inflammatory? ›
Anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of sesame seeds and sesame seed oil are owing to sesamol, a bioactive substance found in sesame seeds. It might be responsible for preventing pro-inflammatory chemical synthesis. It may also lowers the number of reactive oxygen species produced.
Similar to flaxseeds, sesame seeds fall into the 'estrogen boosting foods' category due to their high levels of lignans. Often used in Asian cooking sesame contains 11.2mg of lignans per ounce making them an excellent choice to help boost your estrogen levels through food.
Is black sesame good for gut? ›
Black sesame seeds can aid digestion due to their high fibre content, promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation.
Why do Walmart ice cream sandwiches don't melt? ›
The official Walmart statement claims that 'ice cream with more cream will generally melt at a slower rate, which is the case with our Great Value ice cream sandwiches', which is generally true, but more to blame for the lack of a melty mess are the gum products added to the treat.
What was the old name for ice cream sandwiches? ›
Ice cream sandwiches used to be called hokey pokeys
There might be plenty of playful or unusual names a person could come up with for ice cream sandwiches. You might think of the Chipwich, which boasts that it's "the original ice cream cookie sandwich" (per The Original Chipwich).
What is a fancy name for an ice cream sandwich? ›
From country to country, this dessert picks up many different nicknames: giant sandwich, chipwich, cream between, vanilla slice, slider, and more! Whatever you call it, one thing's for sure: the ice cream sandwich is one of the best inventions of all time.
What are the best ice cream combinations? ›
Ice cream with cream: the most delicious flavors and combinations
- English soup and nougat;
- Pistachio and hazelnut;
- Ricotta and dark chocolate;
- Saffron and vanilla.
Use the black sesame paste on toast (it's great paired with a berry jam or strawberry cream cheese) or slather it on cinnamon rolls. The black sesame paste will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks in a jar. You can also freeze the paste for 5 to 6 months.
What goes well with sesame flavor? ›
Try combining sesame oil with:
- Rice vinegar, for an Asian salad dressing.
- Peanut butter, for the rice noodles in pad thai.
- Fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions, as a base for fried rice.
- Cucumbers, garlic, red pepper, for a simple salad.
- Spicy foods such as kimchi and chilli peppers.
