Frozen or Refrigerated Desserts

To keep cool in the summer, I pull out my ice cream machine and use it frequently to take advantage of ripe summer fruit. When I lived in the village of Bar-sur-Loup, known as the “village of oranges” because of all the orange trees in the area, I had a steady supply of oranges as well as other local fruit to work with. Making frozen or refrigerated desserts in the summer also means no baking on a hot day. The following are my best-of-show chilly French desserts.

“Vin Chaud” Sorbet with Frosted Grapes

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Yaourt Glacé aux Fraises Quicker | makes 1 quart

I was waiting for lunch but thinking about dessert. I was at a restaurant in Nice, thinking about the dessert I had seen on the menu. Should I order it? It was called Balsamic Ice Cream. Yes, I decided. I definitely would try it. It came with fresh strawberry slices. I can still remember the pleasure from tasting the combination. I built on that memory and created this recipe where it all comes together within the ice cream, the sweet strawberries and the tang of yogurt and balsamic vinegar. It’s a luscious, creamy dessert that will surprise and delight you, as it did me.

Special Equipment food processor; ice cream machine

2-1/2 cups fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped

2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon vodka

Add everything except the vodka to the food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and place in the freezer until very well chilled. Stir in the vodka, pour into the ice cream machine, and process according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Tip

Don’t leave out the vodka; it helps prevent iciness in the frozen yogurt.

Peach Melba with Muddled Vanilla Ice Cream

Pêche Melba, Glace à la Vanille Marbrée de Purée de Framboises FraîchesQuicker | serves 4

I teach this dessert in my retro French cooking classes. Invented by the great French chef Auguste Escoffier in 1892, Peach Melba was created in honor of the opera star, Nellie Melba. It is most often presented in a wide, shallow champagne glass with peaches under a purée of raspberries and a ring of whipped cream with fresh raspberries around them.

Special Equipment food processor; electric hand mixer

Peaches

4 large ripe peaches

3 cups water

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 lemon, juiced

Raspberry Purée

1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed and drained

3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled

3 tablespoons superfine sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To serve

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

16 fresh raspberries for garnish

Peaches

Pour cold water into a bowl and add some ice cubes.

Blanch the peaches in boiling water for 3–4 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to the ice water. When they are cool to the touch, peel them with a small paring knife. Slice them in half and discard the pits.

In a saucepan large enough to hold all the peaches, bring the water and sugar to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Turn down the heat to low and place the peaches in the hot syrup, being careful not to splash on your skin. Simmer until the peaches just turn fork tender, 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and lemon juice. Put everything into a large bowl, including the syrup, cover, and refrigerate until the peaches are very cold.

Raspberry Purée

Purée the raspberries and sugar in the food processor until very smooth. Refrigerate.

Whipped Cream

Using the mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat again until soft peaks form. Refrigerate.

To serve

When you are ready to serve the peaches, scoop all of the ice cream into a mixing bowl and muddle or mash it down with a spoon until it loses shape. Divide this between each serving glass or bowl.

Add 2 peach halves to each glass and discard the peach syrup. Divide the raspberry purée evenly over the top. Dollop the whipped cream in a circle around the peaches and garnish with raspberries.

Tip

You can add 2 tablespoons Chambord raspberry liqueur to the purée to enhance it, if you like.

Fresh Orange Sorbet Champagne Coupe

Coupe Glacée de Sorbet à l’Orange Fraîche et Champagne Quicker | Serves 6

Better than a mimosa, this chilly dessert is a revelation because making your own orange sorbet for it tremendously boosts the flavor. I first had it in one of the grand hotels along the sea in Cannes. It came in a tall crystal champagne glass placed on a paper doily set on a large plate with paper-thin tuiles to the side. It made such an impression on me that I went home, made my own orange sorbet, and served it this way on the weekend for a celebration with friends—who also loved it.

Special Equipment food processor; ice cream machine; 6 tall wine or parfait glasses

1 teaspoon finely grated organic orange zest

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2-3/4 cups freshly squeezed organic orange juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 star anise

3 cups champagne or sparkling wine, or more for larger glasses

Add the orange zest to the food processor with the sugar and process for 10 seconds so that the orange oil flavors the sugar. Pour the orange-scented sugar into a saucepan.

Place the orange juice, lemon juice, and star anise in the saucepan with the sugar and whisk while cooking on medium heat until you bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds. Take off the heat, pour into a heatproof bowl, cool to room temperature, then put in the refrigerator until it is very cold.

Discard the star anise then process the mixture in the ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop into a container, cover, and freeze.

To serve, add a scoop or two of the sorbet to each glass and divide the champagne over the top of each.

Tip

You can use this recipe for orange sorbet to make the other French classic, Orange Givrée. Cut the top off an orange, remove the inside flesh and replace it with orange sorbet, then freeze until ready to serve.

Left Bank Café Liégeois

Café Liégeois “Rive Gauche” Quicker | Serves 4

Another classic French dessert, café liégeois was renamed from the original café viennois to honor the Belgian city of Liège for its resistance to the Germans during World War I. It’s one of those desserts you have once, on a hot summer day, and never forget—especially if you are a coffee lover. Pour ice-cold coffee or espresso into a glass, add coffee ice cream, and top it with whipped cream. I often add a little espresso to the whipped cream as well.

Special Equipment electric stand mixer; ice cream machine; 4 glasses or dessert bowls

3 cups half-and-half

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whipping cream, chilled

3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

2 cups brewed coffee or espresso, chilled and sweetened

In a saucepan, add the half-and-half, brown sugar, and the espresso powder. Whisk while bringing to a simmer and cook until the sugar is melted and blended. Take off the heat and whisk in the cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Using the mixer, beat the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour in the half-and-half mixture while beating on low.

Pour everything back into the saucepan and, over medium heat, whisk while cooking until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl, cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until very cold.

Process the mixture in the ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Before serving, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the confectioner’s sugar and remaining vanilla and beat until almost stiff peak stage.

To serve, add scoops of ice cream to chilled glasses. Pour coffee into each glass and top with whipped cream.

Tips

Use a vegetable peeler to scrape along the edge of a chilled bar of chocolate to make chocolate curls for the top, if you would like. This dessert is also nice garnished with chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate-covered espresso beans, or rainbow-colored sprinkles. You can also add 1 tablespoon of coffee liqueur to the cold coffee.

Peach Sorbet with Fresh Peach Slices

Sorbet à la Pêche, Tranches de Pêches Fraîches Quicker | serves 6 to 8

A friend brought me four huge misshapen ripe peaches from her tree, and when I used them to make a sorbet, I was convinced to spend more time making sorbets with fresh fruit. It intensifies the flavor and refreshes at the same time, offering a light alternative after a heavy meal.

Special Equipment food processor; ice cream machine

4 large ripe peaches, plus 3 for garnish

1 tablespoon vodka

1 cup granulated sugar

1 lime, juiced

No need to peel the 4 peaches. Just wash and dry them, slice them, and discard the pits. Toss the peach slices into the food processor with the vodka, sugar, and lime juice. Purée until very smooth.

Pour this mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, take the sorbet out of the freezer and allow to stand for 10 minutes to soften.

Wash and dry 3 peaches and slice them. Scoop the peach sorbet into glasses or bowls and garnish with fresh peach slices.

Vanilla, Raspberry, and Chocolate Ice Cream Bombe Glacée

Bombe Glacée Vanille, Framboise et Chocolat Longer | Serves 8

An ice cream bombe is French retro. Rarely found in restaurants anymore, it is fun to prepare at home. It takes a while because it is done in stages, so plan to make it one day and serve it the next.

You first freeze a layer of ice cream or sorbet in a bowl, then add another layer and freeze, then add the next, with each layer taking 1–2 hours to harden in the freezer. Make the dark chocolate sauce to pour over the top and, if you wish, decorate more elaborately with rosettes of whipped cream, shavings of chocolate, and a cherry crowning the top.

Special Equipment 1 (8-inch) metal bowl

Bombe

2 pints vanilla ice cream

1-1/2 pints raspberry sorbet

1 pint chocolate ice cream

Sauce

8 ounces semisweet chocolate

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bombe

Freeze the bowl then line it with plastic wrap that extends 4 inches all the way around.

Thaw the vanilla ice cream until it is soft enough to work with, spoon it into the plastic wrap–lined bowl, wet a spoon, and push the ice cream to the sides and bottom of the bowl in a thick, even layer, bringing it all the way up to the rim.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the vanilla ice cream and use your fingers to press down and smooth out this layer. Place in the freezer so that the layer hardens a little, about 35 minutes, and then use the back of a large spoon to smooth the layer and put it in the freezer again for 2 hours.

Thaw the raspberry sorbet so that it is softened when the bowl comes out of the freezer.

Take the bowl out of the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Spread the raspberry sorbet over the frozen vanilla layer in a concave bowl shape, bringing it up all the way to the rim. Put a layer of plastic wrap over it and use your fingers to smooth the raspberry sorbet into a concave shape that will hold the final layer of chocolate ice cream. Then use a large spoon to smooth again. Freeze for 1-1/2 hours.

Repeat the process with the final layer of chocolate ice cream, finally covering the bowl with plastic wrap and freezing for 4 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to serve it, place a serving plate on top, invert, and take off the plastic wrap. At this point you can freeze it until you are ready for it, or serve it right away.

Sauce

To make the sauce, place all the ingredients into a saucepan and melt. Allow to cool to room temperature.

When ready, pour the chocolate sauce over the bombe, run a knife under hot water, slice into 8 pieces, and serve.