AÇAI-BLACKBERRY SORBET

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Sorbet is Phil’s area of expertise, I rarely make it or eat it, but I have to tell you, this one turned out so spectacular that I find myself craving it and going for a little bowl at the end of the night. I urge you to give it a try, as açaí is readily available these days in most supermarkets. Recipe was conceived by the amazing man I married, and I am just here to share his greatness.

AÇAÍ-BLACKBERRY SORBET
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

4 cups blackberries
300g frozen açaí pulp (3 sleeves of Sambazon brand)
1/2 cup sugar
1 banana
juice of 1 lime
2 Tablespoons vodka
2 Tablespoons creme de cassis (or another liqueur of your choice)

Mix all ingredients in a Vitamix type blender. We don’t mind the seeds of the blackberries, so no need to sieve them out. Process until fully smooth, let it sit in the fridge overnight, covered.

Next day, mix it briefly with a spoon, churn in your ice cream machine.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Above you see the two recent productions of the husband. The first one is already in the blog for many years, he adapted the Cantaloupe Cayenne to make it with two kinds of melons (Cantaloupe and Santa Claus). For my taste, the açaí-blackberry is a total winner, very complex flavor, not very sweet, excellent texture. Keep in mind that the small amount of alcohol is never cooked out, so this is not appropriate if you are serving dessert for people who cannot consume it. You can also omit it, the texture will suffer a bit, but it will still be delicious.

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10Oct2022

PLUM SORBET

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Before the cold weather hits us big time, allow me to share a sorbet I made back in July… I know, I can be so slow sometimes! I was inspired both to make it and to get the little container for it, once I read this blog post by Kelly. However, I did not have access to the amazing plums she has in her own backyard in California. I bought plums that were definitely not quite ripe, and waited. Waited and waited. In the end, I opted to make a slightly different recipe (modifying it from David Lebovitz), because it relied on cooking down the fruit. I thought that to use the fruit raw as Kelly did, I would have to start from the best possible plums out there. This was absolutely delicious, and what amazing color!

PLUM SORBET
(modified from David Lebovitz)

600g plums
80g sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tsp vodka
1 banana, mashed

Pit the plums, slice them, and put them in a medium-sized saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat, lifting the lid and stirring occasionally, until the plums are soft and completely cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Process the plums and the banana in a food processor or blender. Remove 1/2 cup of the puree to a small saucepan, add sugar and corn syrup, heating gently until the sugar is dissolved. Add this mixture to the rest of the fruit puree, add vodka and chill the mixture overnight.

Freeze in your ice cream maker next day.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: As I mentioned many times in the past, Phil is the resident sorbet maker, but this time I decided to do it myself and surprise him. The only thing I did not care about this recipe is how little sorbet it made, even starting with a pretty large amount of fruit. But that’s the nature of the beast. It was totally worth it. We often include a banana in our sorbets because we like the texture it provides, and depending on the fruit, you can barely taste it. Plums have a very intense flavor, we did not think the banana detracted from it. I know the season for plums is over, but save this one for next year, especially if you have access to perfect plums. In that case, consider trying Kelly’s recipe.

Souper Cubes are available at amazon.com, and they are a pleasure to use,
soft, easy to un-mold but very sturdy.

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25Sep2016

A DUET OF SORBETS

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Now that Fall is upon us, I need to get these sorbets out before it’s too late. Although of course, I have always my wonderful friends from Brazil and Down Under to consider, the lucky ones who are starting their beautiful march towards SUMMER! The first sorbet is for those who appreciate the bite of citric fruits, and prefer desserts that are not overly sweet. The second is a lot more mellow, but it has a secret ingredient to shake things up. Don’t knock it until you try it. Trust me!

TRIPLE CITRUS SORBET
(inspired by Cook’s Illustrated)

1 cup granulated sugar (1 + 1/4 cup if you prefer)
1 teaspoons grated lime zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 + 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup fresh citrus juice
(1 lime, 2 lemons, fresh orange juice to 1/2 cup)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon Cointreau (or vodka)

to print the recipe, click here

This was absolutely delicious! If you have a particularly heavy meal, maybe a bit high on fat content (think ribs, maybe?) this sorbet is going to be perfect. The original recipe called for 1 + 1/4 cups of sugar, but I added less and felt it was enough for our taste, as we tend to dislike excessive sugar in desserts. Try the base before churning, and adjust. Make sure to process any additional sugar until it is fully dissolved. I always add some alcohol to our sorbets because it improves texture in the freezer. It is not mandatory for flavor, you can omit it.

CANTALOUPE-CAYENNE SORBET
(adapted from Food Videos)

1 + 1/2 pounds peeled, seeded cantaloupe (about 4 + 1/2 cups, packed)
1/2 cup white sugar (100 g)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vodka
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (1/4 teaspoon if you dare!)

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Place in the fridge to cool completely for at least 4 hours.

Give a stir with a spoon, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and process it according to the instructions of your machine.

Freeze and enjoy!

to print the recipe click here

Comments: I made the sorbet with only 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and thought it was perfect. However, the moment I mentioned to Phil there was a secret ingredient in it and divulged its identity, he suggested we (we, got it?) should make another batch without it. He likes the pure flavor of the fruit to shine through. So that was that. A second batch was prepared (and I must admit we did it together) the following weekend without the cayenne and the vinegar for a side-by-side single-blind experiment. He liked the version without cayenne better. Me? I loved the peppery one. It gives just a nice background heat, that I thought complemented the fruit quite well. If you like the combination of sweet and savory, grab your bottle of cayenne and churn away…

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FOUR YEARS AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Corn Chowda

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SIX YEARS AGO: Home Sweet Home (our beloved Pits in one of his last photos)

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23Sep2015

SOBERING PEACH SORBET

Posted in Desserts by sallybr

I don’t quite know how to soften the blow, so here it goes: this post brings you my last sorbet of the year. I know, it is cruel and devastating. The bleak reality is that we must wrap our minds around stews, soups, and braises. Maybe a chocolate bread pudding, or a batch of brownies topped with caramel sauce. But the clock is ticking for sorbets, so here is my contribution to sweeten up that brief period of bliss known as “Indian Summer.”

PEACH SORBET
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

4 to 5 peaches, peeled and cut in small chunks (two very full cups)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 medium banana, very ripe
3 Tablespoons orange Curaçao

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process at full speed until completely smooth, making sure no large pieces of banana are present. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.

Transfer the sorbet mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in the freezer.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Sorbets are such simple desserts, since no cooking is involved. I like to include a banana in our sorbets because it improves texture and it also makes the sorbet slightly more substantial. You could leave it out. The same is true for the orange Curaçao, but unless you have something against using alcohol in your cooking, go for it. It won’t taste alcoholic at all, but it will boost the orange flavor.

I like this type of sweet served without any adornment, but the resident sorbet expert thinks that a small square of semi-sweet chocolate never hurts. I must say he has a point…

If you’re headed to winter misery like we are, make a batch of this sorbet as soon as possible. Enjoy it as you stare at your fireplace and try to figure out how many days you have before turning that thing on. If you live in Australia, Brazil, India, Jamaica, New Zealand, please invite me for a 3-month visit… What? Way too long? I beg you to re-consider: for the most part I am very well-behaved, and love doing dishes!

ONE YEAR AGO: Winner of the 1 million page give-away…

TWO YEARS AGO: Just married!

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FOUR YEARS AGO: Oven-broiled Salmon over Saucy Spinach

FIVE YEARS AGO: Butterscotch Brownies

SIX YEARS AGO: First Soup of the Year

24Jul2015

THE ULTIMATE RASPBERRY SORBET

Posted in Desserts by sallybr

My latest obsession is America’s Test Kitchen. The TV series, the books, the website, I simply cannot get enough of it. Which is kind of odd, because until recently I was…. how should I put it… a bit “cold” about Christopher Kimball. The convoluted nature of their recipes used to irritated me, as they go on and on about every single variable tested in their kitchen until the elusive best recipe is found. But our friend Steve (my certified saffron-provider) recommended the show, and knowing him, I had to give it a try. Long story short, I am slightly addicted. The recipes always work, which is saying a lot. Chances are that for many recipes you will dirty every single pot you own, but… you won’t be disappointed. First one I tried: raspberry sorbet. Their goal was to come up with a sorbet with excellent texture, just the right amount of sweetness, and one that would not freeze rock solid. The recipe is a bit involved (what else is new, ATK?), but once I tried my first spoonful, I was in raspberry bliss… And you can be there too!

THE ULTIMATE RASPBERRY SORBET

Recipe Overview: To keep the formation of ice crystals to a minimum, their trick is making the sorbet base and dividing it in two unequal parts. A small amount of the base is placed in the freezer, and later churned together with the very cold liquid part reserved in the fridge. A little bit of no-sugar pectin is also added to improve texture. The result is mind-blowing good!

For the full recipe, please visit this link at America’s Test Kitchen. You might have to register with the site to see their recipes, but it is a small price to pay for the opportunity to surf through their huge collection.

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Isn’t the color of the raspberry mixture intoxicatingly beautiful? And matching the color of our Vitamix was a happy coincidence…

This recipe forced me to do something that a couple of years ago I said “never ever again for as long as I live“. Oh, well. I can change my mind as easily as I change my nail polish. I said before but it’s worth repeating: pushing raspberry puree through a sieve is not for sissies.