Three Sorbets
Do you ever open your refrigerator only to be greeted by the sight of too much overripe fruit? Maybe you have a bunch of limes that are no longer green; excess grapefruits from that Florida gift box; pears that are beginning to bruise; or berries about to grow beards. If so, make sorbet! It is easier to prepare than ice cream and, obviously, dairy free. While best made using an ice cream maker, the following recipes can be easily prepared using old-fashioned ice-cube trays or ice pop molds.
You’ll need to chill the sorbet mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (1 to 2 hours, or overnight) before using the ice cream maker and then store the sorbet at least 1 hour in the freezer before serving.
Grapefruit Sorbet
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
1⅓ cups rosé wine or water
1 cup sugar
2½ cups freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
In a medium saucepan, combine the rosé and sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool.
Stir in the grapefruit juice and lime zest. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Transfer the mixture to a chilled ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a container and freeze again for at least 1 hour before serving.
Pear Sorbet
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
2½ pounds ripe pears
1 lemon, halved
1¼ cups water, plus more if needed
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Peel, halve, and core the pears, reserving the peels and cores. As you work, rub the pear flesh with half the lemon to prevent browning. Transfer the pears to a large glass bowl.
In a medium saucepan, combine the peels, half of the cores, the water, and sugar. Simmer over low heat, dissolving the sugar to make a syrup, about 10 minutes. Strain the syrup through a mesh sieve into a medium bowl. (You should have about 1¼ cups syrup.)
Place the pears in the same saucepan, pour the syrup over them, and cover. Cook over medium-high heat until pears are tender when poked with a paring knife, 10 to 15 minutes. If the liquid begins to boil off, add up to ½ cup water.
Let the mixture cool and transfer to a blender. Add the lemon juice and purée until smooth. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Transfer the mixture to a chilled ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a container and freeze again for at least 1 hour before serving.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
1⅓ cups water
1 cup sugar
3 2-inch sprigs mint or tarragon, or 10 small basil leaves
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
1 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest or regular lemon zest
¾ cup orange juice
¾ cup lime juice
1 cup Meyer lemon juice, regular lemon juice, or blood orange juice
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add the herbs, and allow the mixture to steep for at least 30 minutes.
Add the zests and juices and stir to combine. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. Remove the herbs.
Transfer the mixture to a chilled ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a container and freeze again for at least 1 hour before serving.
VARIATION
Once you’re an adept sorbet maker, you’ll want to expand your repertoire. Here’s a recipe for berry sorbet or ice pops: You’ll need 4 cups of any berries (fresh or frozen), 1 cup water, ²⁄3 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Combine in a food processor or blender and purée. Pass through a sieve to remove seeds. Freeze, using pop molds if you like, or follow instructions to process with your ice cream maker.
Prosecco-Berry Gelée
A glass of fine prosecco is a lovely prelude to a summer meal. Transformed into a sophisticated gelée, it’s a great ending, too. Orange-flower water, a flavoring extract, adds a delicate floral essence to the dish. It is available in the cocktail mixers or baking section of upscale supermarkets, liquor stores, and Middle Eastern markets. The gelée requires at least 3 hours to firm up, but it can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Serve with Ultimate Sugar Cookies (here) or Two Great Dunking Cookies (here).
SERVES 8
7 cups mixed berries (2¼ pounds)
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ cups prosecco or champagne (make cocktails with the rest!)
1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin or agar-agar powder
½ teaspoon orange-flower water (optional)
Place the berries in an 8-cup oval or rectangular ceramic or glass dish. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the sugar and the lemon juice over the berries. Set aside for 20 minutes on the countertop, then toss gently and set aside.
Pour ½ cup of the prosecco into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the prosecco and let stand until the gelatin has begun to break down, about 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine the remaining prosecco with the remaining sugar and boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the gelatin mixture, and continue to stir until dissolved. If the gelatin has not dissolved completely, place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until it is completely dissolved. (Different gelling agents work slightly differently. Consult package directions.)
Add the orange-flower water, if using, and stir to combine. Pour over the berries and pop any bubbles that form on the surface by gently tapping the side of the dish with a rubber spatula.
Cover with taut plastic wrap so that the wrap doesn’t touch the mixture. Chill until firm, about 3 hours. Spoon into individual glasses and serve.
Goat Milk and Yogurt Panna Cotta with Spiced Fig Compote
Once again, today’s newest food trends harken back to our Old World forebearers. Goat products—milk, cheese, yogurt, and even meat—are found in specialty markets today. How far we’ve come from the time when the only reference to goat’s milk we knew was in the Isaac Bashevis Singer folk story “Zlateh the Goat.”
Panna cotta is a classic European eggless custard. It needs to chill for at least 3 hours before serving, but is even better if made 2 days ahead. It keeps for a week if refrigerated. Creamy and lightly tart, we’ve partnered the custard with a spiced fig compote to create a balanced flavor profile. An alternative way to dress up the panna cotta if you don’t want to make the compote is to line the ramekins with a caramel sauce (see Caramel Sauce box, here). In the summer, we like to serve the panna cotta with a simple sauce of fresh blueberries simmered with a little bit of sugar for 15 minutes.
This is lovely with a crumbly cookie passed alongside. See our Cappuccino Thins (here) or Vanilla Crescents (here).
SERVES 12
1½ cups goat milk or low-fat milk
2½ teaspoons powdered gelatin or agar-agar powder
2¼ cups Greek yogurt
1 cup heavy cream (or a combination of cream and additional milk)
Grapeseed oil to coat the ramekins or jars
½ cup honey
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Spiced Fig Compote (recipe follows)
Pour 1 cup of the milk in a medium saucepan, sprinkle with the gelatin, and allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup milk, yogurt, and heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Oil twelve 3½?inch ramekins or glass jars. (If using caramel, pour it into unoiled ramekins or jars to coat the bottoms.)
Gently heat the gelatin mixture over low heat, stirring until the gelatin completely dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey and vanilla. Add this to the cold yogurt mixture. Whisk until fully combined.
Pour or ladle ½ cup of the mixture into each prepared ramekin. Place the ramekins on a tray and refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour. Once firm, cover and return to the refrigerator for 2 more hours.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Run a thin knife blade around the inside of each ramekin. Top with a small dessert plate, invert the ramekin and plate, and wait until the panna cotta drops onto the plate. If it doesn’t release, dip the ramekin into warm water, being careful not to get the custard wet. Repeat with the remaining ramekins. Spoon the fig compote around the panna cotta and serve.
Spiced Fig Compote
This is also delicious spooned over ice cream or served with our Pistachio Anise Biscotti (here) or Coconut Mandelbread (here).
SERVES 12
1¼ cups water
¾ cup sugar
2½ cups port
½ lemon, thinly sliced
1 (3-inch) piece cinnamon stick
1 star anise
5 black peppercorns
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
12 dried plump black Mission figs, halved, hard stems removed
12 fresh black figs or 12 additional dried plump black Mission figs, halved, hard stems removed
In a medium saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils, about 3 minutes. Add the port, lemon slices, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, and vanilla bean. Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes to develop the flavors.
Add all the dried figs, cover, and simmer until the figs are soft enough to cut with the side of a spoon, 30 to 40 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. If using fresh figs, add them now and simmer to soften and warm through, 3 to 5 minutes.
Allow to cool, then refrigerate until ready to use. Discard the lemon, cinnamon stick, star anise, peppercorns, and vanilla bean before serving.