Bon Appetit Desserts (131 page)
Read Bon Appetit Desserts Online
Authors: Barbara Fairchild
Essensia, a sweet California dessert wine, heightens the sweetness of cantaloupe. The “confetti” compote is a pretty mix of diced watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe—all tossed in a slightly spicy star anise syrup. Look for star anise (brown, star-shaped seedpods) in the spice section of some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and at Asian markets.
6 servings
2 pounds cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, cut into large pieces
1¼ cups Essensia or other sweet dessert wine, divided
¾ cup sugar, divided
1 whole star anise (optional)
1 cup ¼-inch-dice peeled seeded watermelon
1 cup ¼-inch-dice peeled seeded cantaloupe
1 cup ¼-inch-dice peeled seeded honeydew melon
Fresh mint sprigs
Puree large cantaloupe pieces in blender. Add ½ cup Essensia and ½ cup sugar; blend until sugar dissolves. Process mixture in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to airtight container and freeze.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Combine remaining ¾ cup Essensia, remaining ¼ cup sugar, and star anise, if using, in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until reduced to ½ cup, about 4 minutes. Chill until cold.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Discard star anise. Add diced watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew to syrup and toss gently. Scoop sorbet into glasses. Spoon compote over. Garnish with mint.
Market Tip:
Cantaloupe
At the market, choose heavy, fragrant cantaloupes with not much of a green tinge. Skip melons with the stems still attached; they were picked too early. If you hear sloshing when you pick up the melon, choose a different one. Keep in mind that once you bring a cantaloupe home, it will soften but will not get any sweeter.
Ingredient Tip:
Essensia
Muscat, a dessert wine made from Muscat grapes, lends a delicate sweetness to frozen desserts. It goes by a few different names, including Essensia, a California brand made from Orange Muscat grapes, and Italian
moscato.
You can find Muscat wines at liquor or wine stores, or at some supermarkets.
Gingered Lychee SorbetCanned lychees, a Chinese fruit, and
moscato
give this sorbet a delicate sweetness; grated fresh ginger adds a little kick.
Makes about 1 quart
¾ cup water
⅓ cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 20-ounce cans lychees in syrup
½ cup
moscato
or other sweet white dessert wine
Stir ¾ cup water, sugar, and ginger in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Strain. Cool ginger syrup completely.
Drain lychees, reserving ½ cup syrup from can. Puree lychees in blender or processor with ½ cup reserved canned syrup until smooth. Strain. Combine pureed lychees, ginger syrup, and wine. Process mixture in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer sorbet to container and freeze.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Technique Tip:
DIY Sorbet
No ice-cream maker? No problem. First, transfer the lychee mixture to a shallow 6-cup baking dish. Freeze until the edges are firm and the center is slushy, about three hours. Puree the mixture in a food processor until smooth, then return the mixture to the baking dish and freeze until almost firm, about an hour and a half. Puree the sorbet in the processor once more, then return to the dish and freeze until firm. Using this method, the sorbet can be made one day ahead.
Rich Chocolate SorbetThis deluxe sorbet is delicious all by itself, but it also makes a great accompaniment to Vanilla Chiffon Cake (page 50). The egg yolks disqualify it as a sorbet in the strictest sense, but it contains neither milk nor cream and is also kosher, so it’s a good choice for Passover.
Makes about 3 cups
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons brandy
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy medium saucepan; add bean. Add 2 cups water, sugar, and coarse salt. Whisk over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate; whisk until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture; return to same saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens slightly and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Strain into medium bowl. Chill uncovered until cold, about 2 hours. Mix in brandy.
Process sorbet mixture in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions (sorbet will be very soft).
Spoon sorbet into container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Margarita SorbetThis refreshing treat takes one of our favorite drinks and sends it to the deep freeze. Complete the homage by serving the sorbet in sugar-rimmed Margarita glasses garnished with lime slices.
4 servings
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
⅔ cup fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons triple sec
6 tablespoons tequila
1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
Stir 2 cups water and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Pour into medium bowl. Mix in lime juice, triple sec, tequila, and lime peel. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
Process sorbet mixture in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer sorbet to airtight container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Freeze 4 Margarita glasses 1 hour. Scoop sorbet into frozen glasses and serve immediately.
Granita Style
It’s easy to turn the Margarita Sorbet into a granita. First, mix an additional 1 cup of water into the sorbet mixture. Freeze the mixture in a bowl until semi-firm, whisking occasionally, about three hours. Cover the bowl and freeze until solid, at least six hours. Using a fork, scrape the surface of the granita to form crystals. Scoop the granita into frozen glasses and serve immediately.
Mai Tai SorbetThe Mai Tai, a mixture of fruit juices and rum, is a classic tropical drink. This frozen treat would be great at a backyard barbecue—paper umbrellas optional. To turn this into a granita, see Granita Style (below)—but add only half a cup of water to the sorbet mixture.
4 servings
½ cup pineapple juice
½ cup mango-passion fruit nectar
½ cup guava nectar
6 tablespoons dark rum
¼ cup sugar
4 teaspoons grenadine
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 fresh pineapple wedges (optional)
Combine all ingredients except pineapple wedges in medium metal bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Process sorbet mixture in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer sorbet to airtight container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Freeze 4 Martini glasses 1 hour. Scoop sorbet into frozen glasses. Garnish with pineapple wedges, if desired, and serve.
Mint Julep SorbetIn this recipe, Kentucky’s famous bourbon-based cocktail becomes a dessert. This is a natural for a Kentucky Derby party but would be a fantastic way to beat the heat all summer long. Serve in julep cups or pretty glasses. To turn this into a granita, see Granita Style (page 465)—but mix only an additional half cup of water into the sorbet mixture.
4 servings
1½ cups water
¾ cup (loosely packed) fresh mint leaves (from about 2 small bunches)
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon green crème de menthe
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
4 fresh mint sprigs
Combine 1½ cups water, mint leaves, and sugar in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Pour into medium bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.