Watermelon Ice
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 3-pound piece chilled watermelon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 mint leaves for garnish
1. In a small saucepan simmer water with sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
2. Transfer syrup to a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir syrup until cold.
3. Discard rind from watermelon and cut fruit into 1-inch chunks.
4. In a blender purée watermelon, syrup, and lemon juice and pour through a fine sieve into a 9-inch square metal baking pan, pressing hard on solids.
5. Freeze mixture, covered with wax paper, until frozen, 6 to 8 hours, and up to 2 days.
6. Before serving, scrape watermelon ice with a fork to lighten texture and break up ice crystals.
7. Garnish with mint.
Yield: 6 cups
Sorbet with Blueberries and Grapefruit
Do this at the height of summer and dazzle your guest with color and flavor!
Blueberries Sorbet
1 1-pound bag frozen unsweetened blueberries (about 4 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup medium-dry Concord wine (kosher for Passover)
Grapefruit Sorbet
5 medium-large pink grapefruit (about 4 pounds)
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons (or more) sugar
2 tablespoons vodka (kosher for Passover)
Fresh blueberries and Grapefruit segments for garnish
For Blueberry Sorbet:
• Combine all ingredients in medium bowl.
• Let stand until berries thaw and sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours, or cover and chill overnight.
• Transfer mixture to blender or processor.
• Blend until mixture is smooth but specks of blueberry are still visible.
• Transfer to ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Spoon sorbet into container.
• Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.
For Grapefruit Sorbet:
• Using knife, cut peel and white pith from grapefruit.
• Working over bowl, cut between membranes to release segments.
• Squeeze any juice from membranes into bowl.
• Discard any seeds.
• Cut each segment into pieces; add to bowl.
• Transfer contents of bowl to 4-cup glass measuring cup.
• Place 3 cups grapefruit and juice mixture in blender (reserve any remainder for another use).
• Add 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar and vodka.
• Blend until almost smooth and sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
• Taste and add more sugar by tablespoons, if desired.
• Blend to combine.
• Transfer to ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Spoon sorbet into container.
• Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Sorbets can be made 1 day ahead.
• Arrange 1 scoop of each sorbet in dessert goblets.
• Garnish with fresh blueberries and grapefruit segments, if desired.
Yield: Serves 10
Lemon Granita
Slushy ice dessert that is very refreshing and easy to make at home.
3 lemons
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1. Use a zester to strip the zest from the lemons and chop it roughly.
2. Place it in a saucepan with the sugar and water and heat until it simmers.
3. Wait for the mixture to simmer, and then strain it into a shallow container.
4. Let it cool to room temperature, and then juice all three lemons into it, straining out the seeds and loose pulp.
5. Stir the mixture together well, and then freeze.
6. Stir it together as it freezes, loosening any ice film that forms and crushing any lumps. Repeat every 20 minutes or so – more often once it’s almost frozen.
7. This step creates the granita’s signature texture.
8. Serve it when it’s still slightly slushy.
Note:
• This dish is traditionally very tart.
• You can add sugar to the recipe, or drizzle simple sugar syrup onto each serving.
Chocolate Tortoni
1 cup cold whipping cream
1/2 cup cold chocolate syrup
1/4 almond macaroon, crumbs
1/4 chopped almonds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped cherries
1 Tbsp. plus 1-1/2 tsp. rum
• In small mixer bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff, gently fold in syrup.
• Stir in almond macaroon crumbs, 1/4 cup almonds, chopped cherries and rum.
• Spoon mixture into 4 dessert dishes, cover and freeze until firm overnight.
• Let stand a few minutes before serving.
• Garnish with cherries and almonds.
Yield: Serves 4
Strawberry Gelati, Italian style
2¼lb fresh strawberries
/9oz icing sugar
4floz lemon (juice of approx. two large lemons)
• Crush the strawberries and rub through a sieve to extract the seeds.
• Stir in the lemon juice then whisk in the icing sugar.
• Pour into your machine and churn until frozen, or make granita style if you don’t have a machine.
• If you don’t have a machine, an easy way to make sorbets is to freeze your sweetened fruit pulp solid in a tray, and scratch it up into frosty shards with a strong fork just before serving.
• This is what Italians would call a “granita”.
• The texture is a little more crunchy than a sorbet, but still wonderful.
Sorbet Trio
A refreshing end to a winter meal.
Pink Grapefruit Sorbet
1 3/4 cups Essencia (or other sweet dessert wine)
2 1/2 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice (from about 6 grapefruits)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon grenadine syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons grated pink grapefruit peel
Cranberry Sorbet
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup tawny Port
1 cup sugar
Pear Sorbet
2 1/4 pounds ripe pears, peeled, quartered, cored
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons Gewürztraminer or other dry white wine
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
For Grapefruit Sorbet:
1. Boil 1 cup wine in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes.
2. Pour into large bowl.
3. Add grapefruit juice, sugar, corn syrup, grenadine and peel; stir until sugar dissolves. Mix in remaining 3/4 cup wine.
4. Refrigerate until cold.
For Cranberry Sorbet:
1. Cook all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until berries pop and soften, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
2. Puree in processor.
3. Strain into bowl.
4. Refrigerate until cold.
For Pear Sorbet:
1. Combine pears and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons wine in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cover and cook until pears are tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Puree pear mixture and sugar in processor.
4. Mix in 3/4 cup wine and corn syrup.
5. Chill until cold.
• Process each mixture separately in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Freeze in covered containers.
• Can be made 1 week ahead.)
• Using oval-shaped ice cream scooper, place 1 scoop of each sorbet on each plate. Garnish with mint.
Yield: Serves 8.
Pineapple Sorbet
1 (3 1/2 pound) pineapple
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
Lemon juice
1. Peel, core and dice pineapple.
2. In a food processor combine pineapple with 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice and process until smooth.
3. This may need to be done in batches.
4. Add more sugar if necessary.
5. Transfer mixture to ice cube trays or metal shallow baking pan, cover with plastic and freeze until almost frozen.
6. In processor add frozen pineapple and process, in batches, until smooth.
7. Transfer to plastic container and freeze, covered, until solid.
Yield: Serves 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Working Time: 2 hours
Ginger Semi-Freddo
An Italian ice cream that needs no special equipment.
1 large egg
4 large egg yolks
½ cup of flowered honey like orange blossom or acacia
2 tbs. finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
3 nuggets of finely diced preserved ginger in syrup
• Line an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to fold it over the top.
• Bring 2 inches of water to a low simmer in a medium heavy bottom saucepan.
• In the top of a double boiler combine the egg, egg yolks, honey and ginger.
• Whisk until the mixture is pale and thick.
• Don’t let it overheat or the mixture will curdle.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, or by hand, whisk the cream just until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the egg mixture into cream and pour it into a loaf pan and place it in the freezer until it is solid, at least 4 hours.
• To serve, remove the semi-freddo from the pan and plastic wrap and place it on a chilled platter.
• Scatter half the diced ginger over the top.
• Working quickly (this melts faster than ice cream) slice it and serve, scattering each plate with more ginger cubes.
Yield: Serves 6.
Coffee Granita
In Italy, coffee granita is served in tall glasses filled halfway with granita and topped with whipped cream.
4 cups freshly brewed decaf espresso or double-strength coffee
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur (Kahlua®)
2 cups whipping cream
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Shaved chocolate for garnish
• While coffee is hot, stir in sugar until dissolved.
• Add coffee flavored liqueur.
• Pour mixture into a 13×9-inch baking dish.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze approximately 45 minutes or until icy at edge of pan.
• Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly.
• Cover and freeze again until icy at edge of pan and overall texture is slushy, about 45 minutes.
• Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly.
• Cover and return to freezer and freeze about 3 hours or until frozen solid.
• Remove from freezer.
• Using a fork, scrape granita down length of pan, forming icy flakes.
• Return to freezer for at least 1 hour.
• Can be made 1 day ahead.
• When served, the granita should look like a fluffy pile of dry brown crystals.
• In a medium bowl, whip whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
• Taste and whisk in more vanilla extract if necessary.
• Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
• To serve, scoop flaked granita into tall goblets or parfait glasses, filling halfway.
• Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with shaved chocolate for garnish.
• Serve immediately with iced tea spoons.
Yield: Serves 8
Basic Bomb Mixture
• This must be used within 24 hours and don’t expect the mixture to be hard like ice cream.
• It will have a silky texture.
• Any flavoring can be used such as vanilla, mint, chocolate, coffee or orange.
1 cup water
1 ½ cups sugar
5 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
12 ounces unsweetened chocolate (optional)
Boil water and sugar to 216 degrees F. using a candy thermometer.
• Mix one cup of syrup and egg yolks, beating constantly.
• Place the bowl over hot water and continue beating until thick and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat.
• Place the bowl over ice.
• Beat until cold and now add the flavoring you desire.
• Line a 4 quart bomb mold or two 2 quart molds with 1 or 2 thin layers of ice cream and freeze.
• Then fill the inside with Bomb mixture and cover and freeze overnight.
• Unmold and decorate with chocolate curls or mint leaves, as you like.
Yield: Serves 8