Labneh ice cream with saffron-sesame-pistachio brittle

As you all know by now, we love ice cream in this house. I am forever looking for new recipes, but tend to always fall back to this ice cream bible.

I was very intimidated by making brittle. I have always imagined it to be quite exacting and difficult to make. I found out that it is really quite simple.

Labneh is a Mediterranean style yogurt, thickand creamy. Hence, this ice cream is luxurious, creamy and delicious. It is wonderful on its own, but the brittle takes it over the top. I modified the brittle a bit by toasting the nuts and seeds and adding saffron strands to the sugar. This gave the brittle a nuttier taste and the saffron was a wonderful touch of spice.

Ingredients:

For the ice cream:

2 1/2 cups labneh, or Greek yogurt

1 cup heavy cream

8 tablespoons honey, warmed slightly to make it easy to mix in

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt. However, some labneh have salt already added. If so do not add more.

Mix all the ingredients together, chill in the fridge. Churn in an ice cream maker, or freeze in the freezer.

For the brittle:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons shelled pistachios. I prefer roasted, or toast them for a few minutes on a pan.

3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted to a very light brown on a pan

1/2 cup sugar

Generous pinch of saffron threads

A silicone mat

Set up a silicone mat on a baking sheet.

Add the sugar and saffron to a small pot, I used a non-stick pot, and melt over medium heat. The sugar will start to melt on the bottom and sides, mix with s silicone spatula. Over time, about 3-4 minutes, the sugar will have melted completely and will turn a light brown as it caramelizes. Add the toasted nuts and seeds and mix in well. Scrape the mix on to the silicone mat and spread out evenly. You need to work fast as the mixture will cool and harden quickly. No need for perfection though. Cool and peel off the brittle from the silicone mat, it come off easily. Break into small bits. I also pounded some on a mortar to very small bits to sprinkle onto the ice cream.

Serve the ice cream topped with the brittle. I always have some extra brittle on the side for folks who want meor or who want to snack on it.