Excerpt
Cherry Sorbet for Dum-Dums with Almond Ding
About 6 Servings
The cherry sorbet recipe is truly a snap: No ice cream machine is required, although you will need a food processor.
As for the oddly named almond candy that goes with it, I was dining out at Cindy Pawcyln's Mustards Grill in the Napa Valley when I was first served this terrific confection: whole almonds encased in crispy, buttery caramel, with just a touch of salt. I loved it even more when I found out the name.
Ingredients
THE CHERRY SORBET:
(makes about 3 CUPS)
4 cups pitted cherries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
A few drops of almond extract
Optional: 1 tablespoon kirsch
THE ALMOND DING:
1 cup whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
- To make the cherry sorbet: Heat the cherries with the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a nonreactive saucepan. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until the cherries soften and begin to release their juices.
- Remove from the heat and add a few drops of almond extract and the kirsch, if using. Pour the cherries and the syrup into a small bowl and freeze until solid, which will take at least 2 hours.
- Once the cherry mixture has frozen solid, remove it from the bowl and put it into a food processor. Process until completely smooth. Serve immediately in tall glasses, or return the sorbet to the freezer until ready to serve. It will have a nice texture for at least a few hours. If it has become too firm, remove it from the freezer a few minutes before serving.
- While the sorbet is setting up, use the time to make the almond ding. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Put the almonds, sugar, butter, and salt in a medium-size saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently (stirring too much encourages crystallization), until the liquid begins to darken slightly.
- Keep cooking, and when the liquid is a rich amber color (like dark coffee with a touch of cream), pour the mixture out onto the greased baking sheet. Do not spread it out. Sprinkle evenly with a hefty pinch of coarse salt. Cool completely, then break into bite-sized pieces and serve with the cherry sorbet.
Note: Store ding for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
Butterscotch Pudding with Coffee-Carmelized Bananas
6 Servings
Years ago, while preparing to make a butterscotch pudding, I telephoned a friend
(who shall remain nameless) who worked for a restaurant (also better left nameless)
that had been highly praised for its homestyle butterscotch pudding. When I
asked what they used as a thickener, she replied that they used storebought
butterscotch pudding mix and folded in butterscotch chips!
Try serving the coffee-caramelized bananas with the bittersweet chocolate mousse on page 121.
Ingredients
THE PUDDING:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
THE COFFEE CARAMELIZED BANANAS:
1 tablespoon butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 bananas, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
6 tablespoons strong coffee
Instructions
- To make the pudding: Melt the butter in a medium-size heavy-duty saucepan. Mix in the brown sugar and cook until the mixture bubbles vigorously. Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream, adding it 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in the milk and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and eggs until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk the egg mixture into the butterscotch pudding mixture.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the pudding comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, continue to stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour the pudding into a container and stir in the whiskey and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
- To caramelize the bananas: Melt the butter in a large skillet with the vanilla bean. Stir in the brown sugar, add the banana slices, and cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until the bananas begin to sizzle.
- Add the coffee and continue to cook until the juices thicken to the consistency of maple syrup, Avoid stirring the bananas. Instead, tilt the pan and spoon the sauce over the bananas as they cook.
Serving: Dish up the pudding in individual custard cups or in tall glasses with the banana slices heaped over it.
The foregoing is excerpted from Ripe for Dessert by David Lebovitz. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission from HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022.