Persian Dessert
BASTANI SONNATI
(Saffron Ice Cream)
INGREDIENTS
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
1 egg yolk
1¾ cups heavy cream
⅔ cup sugar
1⅓ cups whole milk
2½ tablespoons rosewater
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup chopped pistachios – raw, unsalted
SPECIAL UTENSILS
Dutch oven
1 4-cup Mason jar
Makes 3½ cups. Takes 30 minutes plus 8 hours in the freezer.
PREPARATION
Add saffron threads to medium mixing bowl. Crush saffron threads with fingers. Add egg yolk to small mixing bowl. Beat yolk with fork or whisk until well blended. Add heavy cream, sugar, whole milk, and crushed saffron to Dutch oven. Cook for 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Stir constantly.
Slowly add hot saffron/heavy cream mixture to mixing bowl with blended egg yolk, whisking constantly. Add saffron/heavy cream/egg yolk mixture to Dutch oven. Cook for 7 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spatula.
Remove from heat. Add rosewater and vanilla extract. Blend with fork or whisk until you get a well blended ice cream. Hold both handles of Dutch oven and carefully pour ice cream to Mason jar. Mix with whisk until well blended and saffron are evenly distributed. Tightly close Mason jar. Vigorously shake Mason jar. (You really want the saffron bits to be evenly spaced. Shake again if saffron bits have settled to bottom of jar.)
Chill in freezer or until ice cream sets completely. Top ice cream with pistachio bits before serving.
TIDBITS
1) Beethoven wrote sonatas. I’ve created a sonnati. The score is tied: Beethoven – 1, Me – 1.
2) Beethoven composed symphonies. As of press time, I have not. Beethoven wins 2 to 1.
– Paul De Lancey, The Comic Chef, Ph.D.
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