Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Orange Sherbet and Lime Ice Cream

Summer is winding down, some of the local schools are already in session, but in Southern California our hot weather is really just beginning. Late August thru mid September are some of our hottest days so there is still plenty of time to enjoy a cool, fruity treat. If we are lucky we will have warm weather until late October and we can continue swimming and eating on the patio almost until Halloween. This Orange Sherbet comes from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook and the Lime Ice Cream is from the blog  La Casserole Carree. Vibi has a beautiful blog and I knew that this ice cream would make it to the freezer in record time, since we had a bag full of limes just waiting to be squeezed and zested.


Orange Sherbet
The America's Test Kitchen Family cookbook

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoon Triple Sec or vodka
2/3 cup heavy cream

1. In a  bowl add sugar, salt and orange zest. Rub with your fingers to release the oils in the zest.  Your sugar with be moist and orange colored. Add the orange juice, lemon juice and triple Sec and stir until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
2.In a second chilled bowl whip the cream to soft peaks. While whisking constantly, pour the chilled juice mixture down the side of the bowl into the whipped cream. Once the juice is completely incorporated into the cream transfer the mixture to your ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's instructions.
 

All ice cream is welcome around here, especially the ones made with fresh fruit juice. The sherbet was just like all those 50-50 bars that we ate as kids and who can resist the fresh orange/sweet vanilla combo? The lime ice cream quickly became a new favorite, with its perfect balance of sweet, tart, and citrus flavors. The zest is the most flavorful part of these fruits, and that one simple addition makes such a huge flavor impact without adding more ingredients or more work, so don't skip that part! These both have just a few simple ingredients and are a tasty way to cool down as we head into some of our warmest days yet.




Lime Ice Cream
adapted from La Casserole Carree

2 large eggs
⅔ cup sugar
Zest of 2 limes, finely chopped
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and lime zest until pale and thick, about 5 minutes.
Add milk and cream, beat until well mixed. Transfer the mixture to a heavy saucepan and cook on medium heat to 170 °, stirring regularly.
Remove from heat and let cool .
Add lime juice, mix well. (My mixture looked a little curdled so I pureed it with my immersion blender.)
Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate until well chilled
When properly cooled, pour into ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions.
printable recipe

Dig in!