blissful eats with tina jeffers: Black sesame frozen yogurt

Black sesame seeds are in my opinion a under utilized ingredient in Western cultures.  I am fortunate that I have always been exposed to Asian cooking since my mom is from Okinawa and I love cooking with Asian ingredients.  This is a breeze to whip up and is made with all natural and whole ingredients.  Grinding the sesame seeds creates a thick luscious paste with a nutty smoky flavor.  So the next time you are craving a frozen treat you can have this ready to churn in less than an hour.  No more need to run to the grocery store for a late night sweet attack. 

Black sesame frozen yogurt

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup agave or brown rice syrup

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups whole-milk Greek yogurt

Method:

Place the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until the seeds start to pop and become fragrant.  Grind ¼ cup sesame seeds in a spice mill to form a thick paste, about 2 minutes and reserve the additional 2 tablespoons to mix in.  Pour the heavy cream, vanilla extract and agave syrup in a large bowl and whisk in the sesame paste until evenly incorporated.  Add the yogurt and mix until smooth.  Chill for at least 30 minutes and then churn the yogurt mixture in an ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s instructions.  During the last few minutes of churning add the additional 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds to the yogurt.