Cone and its Fruit Sorbet — Cône et sorbet aux fruits

Do you know what summer means? Warmth. And how do we like our desserts when it is hot outside? Cool.

In summer, I love to make sorbets. And to me, there is no questioning about this: homemade sorbets are not only satisfying and easy to make, but they are absolutely rewarding if we care about taste. And we all do. You can choose the fruit and type of sugar you like&#8212 I use evaporated cane sugar&#8212, in other words you can personalize them at will. Of course, it is better to use an ice cream machine to make them if you have one, but not always necessary.

This year however I wanted to try something slightly different, something I had not made before. And like with anything new, I took it with a first easy step: I wanted to make cones.

Cones

A few days ago, a few friends came over for dinner and since the day had been unusually warm for the season (I am not sure what the weather is up to but it is really le monde à l’envers (topsy turvy world) around here), I decided to make a few batches of sorbet. With them, I attempted to make sweet crispy vanilla-flavoured homemade cones. Using the same principle as in the making of tuiles, you are the artist shaping the cones. I do not own a cone maker (not yet) but used a Pizzelle Maker. And it worked just great as I got small patterned waffles that I shaped in the form of cones. And since I like food to be small I was very happy. And oh, when Béa is happy with food, she is really happy!

I recently acquired this machine and have to say that I am so far very happy with it. Easy to use, the pizzelles (very similar to thin waffles) came out crispy and deliciously flavoured. I used the main recipe coming with the machine, which is a batter of flour, sugar, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. The next recipe that I want to experiment with will feature chocolate as in chocolate-flavoured pizzelles before trying out cones made with filo pastry (I have not yet figured out this one yet). I can tell that the making of cones and sorbets will be endless (with some interesting events I am sure, and maybe to prevent them from happening I should ask advice from Anita!). Fun, don’t you think?

And so, as to our diner dessert, I served the sorbets in the cones, with fresh strawberries infused in mint and sugar on the side, with a touch of lime juice. Que l’été arrive!

You always have the option to just enjoy your sorbet without a cone, without a nice quenelle, but just enjoy it as it is: simple.

Sorbet

Sorbet is simple: fruit purée, and a syrup made of sugar and water. Add to it a touch of lime or lemon juice, and you get a very refreshing zesty dessert. Confession: I personally prefer sorbets to ice cream.

Steps:

Make a syrup from 1 cup water to 3/4 cup sugar. Let the sugar dissolve in the water on medium heat before bringing to a boil for 1 mn. Let cool.
Squeeze the juice to get 1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon).

My sorbets were peach and raspberry and I used:
&#8212about 700 to 750 g = 24 oz (strained raspberry purée or peaches mixed in purée).

Note: For the raspberry, strain them to remove the seeds. Then mix the lime juice in them.

When the syrup has cooled down, mix it with the fruit purée and use the ice cream machine accordingly. Your sorbet is ready when the texture is thicker, yet not too hard either (depending on your machine, it might take 15 to 20 mns). Once you reach that stage, place the sorbet in a container that you put in the freezer. The sorbets are more easily scooped when they are not too cold. Use a spoon that you run in a bowl full of hot water for better results (and I am still working at getting nice quenelles myself!)

Le coin français

Et les plaisirs du sorbet maison, avec ou sans cônes (qui ont été réalisés tout simplement en utilisant une machine à pizzelles (de petites gaufres italiennes). C’est simple et délicieux. Celles-ci étaient parfumées à la vanille et elles se roulent comme des tuiles. Même principe.

Faire du sorbet, c’est très simple: il vous faut de la purée de fruit et un sirop réalisé à partir de sucre et d’eau. Ajoutez du jus de citron vert ou de citron, et vous obtenez un dessert très rafraîchissant et plein de zest. Confession à faire : je préfère les sorbets aux crèmes glacées.

Étapes :

Réalisez un sirop à partir de 240 ml d’eau et de 150 g de sucre. Laissez le sucre se dissoudre dans l’eau à feu moyen avant de porter le tout à ébullition (et maintenez l’ébullition pendant 1 mn). Laissez refroidir.
Extrayez le jus de citrons verts (ou citron) pour obtenir 60 ml de jus.

Mes sorbets étaient parfumés à la pêche et à la framboise et j’ai utilisé :
&#8212environ 700 à 750 g de purée de framboises passée au tamis ou des pêches réduites en purée.

Remarque : Pour les framboises, il est nécessaire de les passer au tamis (ou chinois) pour enlever les pépins. Ajoutez ensuite le jus de citron à la purée de votre choix.

Lorsque le sirop est refroidi, mélangez-le à la purée de fruits et faites prendre en sorbetière avant de mettre au congélateur. Il est préférable de sortir le sorbet quelques instants pour qu’il soit plus facile de former des quenelles (ou boules). Plongez la cuillère dans de l’eau chaude entre chaque boule. Et puis mangez, avec ou sans cône. Cela, on sait faire sans aucun problème!