Persian Saffron Ice Cream

Around twenty years ago, I started to need glasses full time.  I am near-sighted and I needed them for driving and

you know,

seeing the person standing in front of me.

I have lived half of my life dependent on two pieces of glass so that I could see the world.  I wore contacts most of the time during the day.  But, at 9:30, every darn night, my eyes would get dry and I would have to switch to my glasses.  I’m not kidding you, I could tell time by the moment my eyes went dry.

If we were going out to a nice event, I would have to plan when to take my contacts out and re-hydrate them, earlier in the day, in the hopes they wouldn’t dry out to soon in the evening, which would mean that I would have to excuse myself to add drops to my eyes to make it slightly more bearable.

Interrupting a compelling conversation so I could put eyedrops in…

not. fun.

About two months ago, I got my eyes LASIKed.

I won’t lie.  I was scared.  Did you know you have to be awake and have your eyes open??  I was freaked out.

Honestly… it was not bad at all.

And after a TON of eyedrops later (the irony doesn’t get past me), I am so so happy to report that I am fully healed, corrective lens free with an amazing

TWENTY/FIFTEEN VISION!!

I cannot believe where technology has taken us.  A few weeks ago I couldn’t see with out the aid of glasses and today I have better vision than when I started.  I never realized how much it restricted my life and how much grief it caused until now.

Gratitude.

That’s what I got from this whole experience.

Gratitude.

Let me tell you about Persian ice cream.

It’s really flipping good.

In all seriousness, this ice cream is like nothing you have ever tasted before.  The blend of saffron, rosewater, pistachios, the cookie… it comes together in a way that so excites the tastebuds you really are not sure what to do with yourself.

I had been wanting to figure out a way to make this vegan but was very intimidated because of all the flavors that marry in this amazing little sandwich.  I was very much afraid I was going to screw it up.  I did a lot of research.  Went to the persian market a few times.  The result…. not one single (Persian) person who ate this could tell it was vegan.  That’s a big deal!

There are some ingredients that you will not be able to find in a regular grocery store.  The wafer cookies, the sahlab and the mastic. They are very easy to find in an market that specializes in middle eastern food.

I don’t know how to encourage you to try to make this on your own.  It is just so good and so easy and such a change from the normal flavors you might normally come across.

If you are feeling experimental, I really hope you give this ice cream a chance!

What a fun week this has been!  My ice cream maker has been churning.

We’ve been eating way too much of the stuff!

No complaints though.

Seriously, how could you have one complaint when we are talking about, and having fun with, ice cream all week long!

Don’t forget this is your last chance to enter to win the

CUISINART ICE CREAM MAKER!!!

You can enter up to three times by entering one comment in each ice cream post, this one, of course and then here and here.

OOH!  And also, a huge shout out and thank you to Foodista.  I am their Food Blog of the Day today and I couldn’t be more thrilled. You can check that out here.

Today’s question for the contest is….

Who is your favorite person to eat your ice cream with?

My answer…

The man who has given me my vision back.  Literally and figuratively.  Thank you, Guv. xoxo

Printable recipe: persian saffron ice cream