This saffron ice cream combines rosewater, saffron and pistachios to create the fragrant and irresistible Akbar Mashti, a classic Persian treat that's easy to make at home!
I used to work at a gelato shop and their Akbar Mashti flavour was by far the MOST popular. People loved it! So I've wanted to recreate it for a while and after a couple rounds of testing, I'm so excited to share the recipe with you guys!
It's floral and fragrant from the rosewater, combined with the saffron and with the added crunch and nuttiness of the pistachios.
If you love floral flavours, this is PERFECT for you! (and even the one that aren't huge fans, try it out! It's super popular for a reason!)
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What is Saffron?
Saffron is one of the most precious and expensive spices in the world. It's even valued more than gold, per gram. It's incredibly difficult to harvest and cultivate. Each thread must be plucked by hand due to their delicacy.
Each flower produces only 3 strands and it takes about 1000 flowers to get one ounce of saffron.
It's hard to describe the flavour but it's subtle, sweet, earthy, warm and floral. Make sure to not use too much because it can taste bitter.
It's also used in Paella to add colour and flavour, like in my Valencian Paella recipe! Check it out if you like rice dishes!
Ingredients
Your ice cream is only as good as your ingredients, so I recommend getting the best you can! Especially the saffron.
See recipe card BELOW for quantities.
- Heavy cream - or whipping cream if you're Canadian like me
- Whole milk
- Egg yolks — add richness and flavour, along with acting as a stabilizer and thickener to make the ice cream creamy and smooth.
- Skim milk powder — Improves the texture by acting as an emulsifier and absorbs the extra water content - preventing ice crystals in the ice cream
- Granulated white sugar — not only for the flavour, but essential for the ice cream to be scoopable.
- Saffron — adds the beautiful yellow colour, along with it's own subtle flavours
- Rosewater — gives the ice cream the classic floral flavour and frangrancd
- Roasted pistachios — adds the nuttiness and texture
- Salt — it helps bring out and balance all the flavours
If you love pistachios, check out this Pistachio Tres Leches! It's absolutely amazing~
Instructions
- To make saffron ice cream, start by grinding saffron with sugar and steeping it in warm water.
- Whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and light.
3. In a sauce pan, heat the cream, milk, skim milk powder, and the rest of the sugar until hot. Don't bring to a boil.
4. Gradually whisk in half a cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Make sure to whisk as you add it in, or else the eggs can scramble.
5. Add the mixture back to the sauce pan and cook the mixture until it reaches 170-175°F, then cool it in an ice bath. Then stir in the saffron mixture and rose water. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Churn in an ice cream machine, adding chopped pistachios in the last few minutes. Freeze for 4 hours before serving.
Variations
You can change up the flavour according to your preferences but it won't have the classic saffron ice cream taste.
- Rosewater - You can try using orange blossom water (start out with a tiny bit)
- Pistachio - Use nuts like walnut or pecans—or leave them out if you'd like to go nut free
Substitutions
- Skim milk powder - If you don't have it or can't get it, you can leave it out. It does provide a better texture by adding more solids into the ice cream base, so I would recommend getting your hands on it!
Equipment
This ice cream recipe is made for an ice cream maker or machine. I haven't tried it out without one so I can't say for sure, if it would turn out the same without.
I use the Cuisinart ICE-70C and I've had great results with it. It also has a gelato and sorbet function! I'm sure any ice cream machines you have on hand will work.
Storage
Store the ice cream in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to a week. The recipe doesn't use any extra stabilizers so it's best consumed fresh.
Saffron Ice Cream - Tips for Success
- Use High-Quality Saffron: Opt for high-quality saffron threads for the best flavor. Grind them finely with sugar to maximize their aromatic potential.
- Pre-Freeze the Ice Cream Bowl: If you're using an ice cream maker with a removable bowl, make sure to freeze it for at least 24 hours before churning. This ensures the ice cream sets quickly and evenly.
- Temperature Control: Be careful not to overheat the cream mixture or the custard base. Keeping the temperature below 180°F ensures a smooth, creamy texture without curdling the eggs.
- Chill the Base Properly: Allow the ice cream base to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. This enhances the flavors and ensures the mixture churns properly.
- Let It Soften Before Serving: For easier scooping, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving. This softens it slightly without melting.
FAQ
To prevent ice crystals, make sure to thoroughly chill the ice cream base before churning, and store the finished ice cream in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface.
Once the ice cream is thickened and the consistency is almost that of a soft-serve. It'll lose it's sheen - so the surface looks dry. The temperature should be somewhere between -6℃ to -10℃ (21.2°F — 14°F)
This recipe is designed for an ice cream maker so I can't say with certainty. However, a method would be to freeze it in a large container and mix the mixture every 30 minutes until frozen. This will stop it from freezing as a block but there may still be some ice crystals in it.
The egg yolks add richness and flavour, along with acting as a stabilizer and thickener to make the ice cream creamy and smooth. You would need to add a stabilizer and thickener and adjust it to the recipe.
More amazing recipes!
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Saffron Ice Cream - Akbar Mashti
Ingredients
- 1½ cups - heavy cream (354ml)
- 1½ cups - whole milk (354ml)
- 9 tablespoon - granulated white sugar (112g)
- 2 - egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon - skim milk powder (12g)
- ¼ teaspoon - saffron
- 2 teaspoon - warm water
- 2.5 tablespoon - rose water
- ¼ teaspoon - salt
- - handful of chopped pistachios (how much you prefer)
Instructions
- Grind the saffron in a mortar and pestle with about 1 teaspoon of the sugar until it becomes a really fine powder. Add in 2 teaspoon of warm water and let that steep for 5-10 minutes. You can also grind the saffron in a coffee grinder or even crush the threads and sugar with your fingers, until it's close to a powder consistency.¼ teaspoon - saffron, 2 teaspoon - warm water
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and half the sugar (50g or ¼ cup) until light and pale. The sugar should mostly be dissolved.2 - egg yolks
- In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, skim milk powder, salt and the rest of of the sugar. Heat the mixture on medium-low heat until it's hot. Don't bring to a boil.1½ cups - heavy cream, 1½ cups - whole milk, 2 tablespoon - skim milk powder, ¼ teaspoon - salt
- Slowly add about half a cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. You don't want the eggs to clump into scramble, so whisk the mixture as you add the hot milk. Whisk in another half cup of the hot milk.
- Add the whole mixture back to the saucepan and place on medium-low heat. Slowly heat it up to about 175°F (79.4℃) while stirring occasionally. The temp should be between 170℉-180℉ (76℃-82℃). Don't go higher than that.
- Prepare a large bowl with an ice bath and place the sauce pan in it. Stir and cool down the ice cream base to room temperature (about 50F° or 10℃). Stir in the saffron mixture and rose water.2.5 tablespoon - rose water
- Once cool, place in an airtight container or a leak proof re-sealable bag and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. This helps the base chill further and develop more flavour. The temperature should be around 34°F or 1°C.
- Set up your ice cream machine according to manufacturers instructions and click start. Pour in the ice cream base as it's spinning.
- Churn for about 20 minutes, and then add in the chopped pistachios. Continue churning for another 5-10 minutes - the ice cream will be thick, stiff and kind of dry looking- the surface shouldn't be too shiny. The temperature should be about -6℃ to -10℃ (21.2°F — 14°F). It'll be kind of like a soft serve consistency.- handful of chopped pistachios
- Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and sprinkle on some more pistachios. Freeze for 4 hours to harden.
- Scoop, serve and enjoy!
Huzaifah Sheikh says
I tried it and honestly words can do justice for its deliciousness. Once I had an demonstration of ice cream but it wasn't even worth it but you made it so much easy and informative. Thank you so much for sharing such a dynamite.