Ok, I had very low expectations of how this was going to turn out. Everyone in my family did, as I whipped cream and poured tahini caramel all over it and told them all it was going to be ice cream. “That’s…ice cream?” Yes, mom, that’s ice cream.

But oh sweet baby avocado this ice cream is phenomenal, and I tend to exaggerate a lot but I’m not exaggerating here. Don’t get me wrong - it’s rich - but rich in a you-know-it’s-a-special-dessert kind of way. Tahini lends a nuttiness to the flavor profile, and frozen halva adds sweet crunchy bits throughout the creamy texture. After my mom’s first bite, she looked at me and said, “Oh wow. That’s ice cream.”

INGREDIENTS

2 cups heavy cream, cold

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup tahini

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. milk, half-n-half, or heavy cream (optional)

1 cup halva, crumbled*

*Inexpensive, dry halva works best here; I prefer Trader Joe’s brand or Joyva

DIRECTIONS

Combine sweetened condensed milk, tahini, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl and stir together with a rubber spatula until well incorporated. If the mixture is too thick and tough to stir, add in the 2 tbsp. milk, half-n-half or heavy cream.

Using a stand mixture or electric mixer (or your killer arm strength) whip the *cold* heavy cream into stiff peaks. Using your rubber spatula, scoop about 1/2 cup whipped cream into the tahini mixture and stir together; this will help lighten the mixture. Next, pour the tahini mixture into the whipped cream and fold in, by scooping the sides up and pulling through the middle, like you’re creating a little whipped cream-tahini-caramel stream (am I getting too technical? If you don’t know how to fold, watch this video).

Once the tahini-caramel and whipped cream are well incorporated with no streaks, add 3/4 cup crumbled halva (I chose marbled halva, but plain works well here too) and fold in. Pour mixture into a loaf pan, top with remaining halva, and cover well with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for at least 8 hours.

store: in the freezer for up to 1 month. or in your belly.

diet: vegetarian, gluten-free (if your halva is gluten-free)

eat it with: nothing!! it’s so decadent you don’t need to add anything else. maybe alka setlzer.