Baby Alaskas with Brandied Apricots - the picture in the recipe book looked quite impressive and the recipe didn't seem that hard to follow. The first step required softened ice cream, so I pulled it from the freezer as required, then popped outside to hang out the washing. I promptly forgot all about the ice cream and went into town for some lunch (and to ransack the $10 DVD bin at The Warehouse). Upon discovering the small pond which had formed on the counter and kitchen floor when I got back, I realised it was time to reconsider the project...
Apricot Sorbet
- 250g caster sugar
- 125ml water
- 750g apricots
- 2 tbspns lemon juice
Put the sugar and water into a pot and bring slowly to the boil, stirring all the while until dissolved; put aside to cool. Put a pot of water on to boil; use it to blanch the apricots (half a minute at the absolute most). Remove the skin and stone, then pop the denuded fruit into a bowl along with the lemon juice. Purée with a stick mixer/moulis/cheap immigrant labour until smooth. Stir in the sugar syrup. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice if it's too sweet - you don't want to overwhelm the apricot flavour.
If you have an ice-cream machine, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. These machines result in a fantastic finish as their constant churning ensures that ice crystal formation is kept as small as possible. Mine takes 15 minutes, after which I placed the sorbet into an airtight container and back into the freezer (by the way, it's ready to eat there and then).
No ice cream maker? Simply place the puréed apricot in a large dish and pop into the freezer. Remove every 20 minutes and break up the crystals with a whisk or fork, incorporating as much air as possible into the mix. Once it's thick enough to scoop, scrape it into an airtight container and place back in the freezer.
Apricots: I love 'em! Nothing beats a chilled, juicy Roxburgh apricot, one of my favourite summer fruits. A huge thank you to Helen & Rob for my bag of treats!
Links:
Seasonal availability chart (fruit & veg) courtesy of Chevalier Wholesale Produce in Auckland - clickety
Hi Nigel,
ReplyDeleteThe sorbet looks great, look forward to a future baked Alaska!
I'm going to try the lavender martini tonight, I wondered whether you might want to co-host a posting on it?
Hi Nigel
ReplyDeleteNo abricot on trees for the moment here in france !! its snows and it is very cold !! but Your photo gives me some heat !!!
Cheers for paris
pierre
These look great I will give them a go. Do you happen to have any Rhubarb recipes? My garden is oozing with it and I want to do something other than crumble?
ReplyDeleteKiwi Gal - I did a post in December for a rhubarb, apricot & ginger chutney, so check my archives for that. A cool garnish for desserts are rhubarb strips, where you peel slices of it with a peeler or mandoline, dip it in sugar syrup & bake it in an oven for an hour at moderate heat & then leave it to air dry - they're translucent with a candy pink edging which looks very delicate.
ReplyDeleteThere's rhubarb jam where you could combine it with apples or strawberries & maybe some star anise or vanilla pods - remember your fruit:sugar ratio for jam making should be about equal.
Drinks are another option. you could make a syrup which could be used as a base - equal amounts of sugar & water, & 6 chopped up rhubarb stalks. Put in a pot, low heat & stir till sugar's dissolved then bring to boil & simmer for 15 min, cool, strain & put in the fridge ready for whenever you need it.
Check out Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's site on the BBC; he'll have a mine of recipes for the red stuff too, I suspect, understandable given that the Brit's love the stuff. Hope that helps.
Alli - Yep, just sent you message.
ReplyDeletePierre - Snow! I hope you're still able to get out & about. Keep warm by your oven, my friend!
Thanks so much for this - I did take a look and found a couple of your recipes for pickle which I will give a go and also have found a recipe for Rhubarb loaf which I will try and let you know if it is any good.
ReplyDeleteSweet, I'd like to see how it turned out!
ReplyDeleteCheers for the Sorbet idea, that might be more successful than my icecream... though I did get to snowfreeze in the end! PS Did you know you can make small quanities (like 1 jar at a time) of jam using a breadmaker machine? Plums are staining the ground pink here.
ReplyDeleteReally?! Tell me how!
ReplyDeletethe MIL has been making it all week, one jar at a time as the plums fall. I'll ask her how... We had some today with date scones (from me ma) and it was pretty tart, but nice. Aparently her breadmaker has a setting on it called Jam. Mine doesnt though, but it does have a Bake setting, so i will have to find my original breadmaker instruction manual. Will let you know when I know more... but also you dont add ANY water, just the jam, sugar, and whatever acid you chose depending on the peptin levels in the fruit. I think she used a squeeze of lemon juice.
ReplyDelete