Iranian Saffron Ice Cream

Iranian Saffron Ice Cream

2 tbsp cornstarch or powdered sahlab
4 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground mastic
1/4 tsp ground saffron dissolved in 3 tbsp rose water
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp slivered pistachios or decoration

1. Dissolve the sahlab or cornstarch in 1 cup cold milk. Mix very
well until quite smooth.
2. In a large saucepan, stir the rest of the milk and sugar together
and bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Add the sahlab mixture and mastic to the warm milk in the saucepan.
Simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
At this stage, the mixture should be slightly elastic. Remove the pan
from heat.
4. Add the saffron rose water. Mix well. Allow to cool for 2 hours.
Pour the entire mixture into an ice-cream machine
5. Follow your ice cream machine's directions for making ice cream.
6. Pour a thin layer of whipping cream into a flat plate and place it in
the freezer until a 1/4 inch frozen creamy crust forms. Remove the
crust from the freezer, let it stand fr 2 minutes, then break off 1/2 inch
pieces of the crust and mix them with the finished ice cream.
7. Serve saffron ice cream in small crystal bowls; sprinkle the top with
ground pistachios/

Variation-- you may simply use 1 pint vanilla ice cream (watch out
for vanilla extract though-- alcohol u know). Simply add frozen cream
pieces, saffron rose water, and slivered pistachios. Mix well.