Triple Threat

Yup obsessed. I know it too. After going 2 whole days without making any ice cream... I had to make 3. Well... two frozen desserts and one sauce to put on top. The impetus? On Thursday I went to my beloved Crocker Galleria Farmer's Market where I picked up a mixed basket of locally grown, organic strawberries and raspberries. I basically ran home to throw them in the mixer.

Gettin' Juicy

I decided that the berries had to be made into something as simple as possible-- sorbet. Strawberry Sorbet. And the raspberries? Chunky Raspberry Sauce of course. I was going to want to put that sauce on something decadent so Vanilla Ice Cream it was to be. This was going to be amazing vanilla ice cream-- the whole cooked egg custard kind. I began with macerating the berries for the sorbet and the sauce. While they sat and stirred in their juices (and a little brandy) I got started on the custard. As the vanilla bean was infusing it's rich, velvety flavor into some warmed milk-- I began processing the strawberries. The recipe for Strawberry sorbet is very similar to the pear or melon. Fruit, sugar, blitz, & freeze. After I blitzed the berries, I strained them for an extra smooth sorbet. I put the strawberry 'soup' in the fridge to hang out overnight and I turned my attention to the custard... which came together beautifully. 

Cream. Sugar. More Cream? Check!

However, i was here that I had my first "Oh Crap" ice cream making moment.  Everything was going along swimmingly. I made the custard, flipped on the machine and poured the mixture in. I figured, for once, I actually get the dishes done. As I scrubbed the machine whirred along. I snuck a peak after about 15 minutes. It wasn't fluffing up! It was dense, and not frozen! I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I mean... the bowl was frozen, and I knew it wasn't the recipe. I mean it's David's!! I scraped the sides with a rubber spatula... the sides were solid.... OH CRAP. I forgot to put in the friggin' paddle!!! I put it in hoping it would at least fluff up the mixture a little. It did. But very little. The result was a super-dense, ridiculously intense, frozen vanilla custard.

Raspberry Soup

I was a bit disheartened, but I cleaned the bowl and put it in the freezer so that I could make the straw berry sorbet as soon as possible. I focused on the Chunky Raspberry sauce, which is ridiculously easy, and fantastically delicious. Basically it's berries, sugar & blitz. The sauce did those raspberries proud. I poured some sauce over the decadent custard and served it to Designated Eater Mimi who declared (rightly so) "This tastes like raspberry shortcake... but you don't need cake." It did....and you didn't.

Raspberry Shortcake

The next day after work I set to making the sorbet-- which didn't take me any more effort than pouring the soup into the mixer. After 15 minutes it was done! It was as if I was bathing in fresh strawberries. I honestly can't tell you how BIG the strawberry flavor is. I can tell you though... we're ruined on store bought ice cream around these parts. Never again. 

Have you ever seen anything so pretty?

Enjoy!

Erin

Comments

[Victoria]

There's a strawberry farm down the road from where I weekend in the country. Beautiful, small, just-picked strawberries are the bomb, that's for sure. I will make this sorbet over July Fourth because I have company that always comes for the holiday, and it is a major food fest. (I hate to make you jealous, but I made a salad out of my own salad greens and arugula on Saturday night. Mighty good indeed to just walk out into the field with a little bag and a pair of scissors.)

[EB]

Vic-
Oh sure! Not to make me jealous or anything huh!? :) I am very jealous. But very happy for you! I can't imagine anything better.

EB

[Barbara]

I'm sitting on the floor crying my eyes out!