Friday, January 1, 2010

Tangerine Cranberry Sherbet


OK, it’s time for some color and spark! And along with that, a good measure of tartness along with the sweet.

Sometimes I get an ingredient in my head and I just have to do something with it. This is one of those times when I really couldn't resist the goodness of tangerines. Winter is the best time for gorgeous citrus fruit and tangerines in particular are delicious and juicy and plentiful right now. This bright sherbet brings the best of the season forward in a tantalizing mix of cool and tangy refreshment.

To my amazing family, wonderful friends, incredible blog buddies and all my fabulous readers, thank you so much for such a grand year full of inspiration and prosperity. It's been a great pleasure discovering all your beautiful blogs. Here's to another very exciting year full of optimism, hope, love and lots and lots of delicious little morsels. Happy New Year!

Bench notes:
- If you don’t have access to tangerines, substitute fresh orange juice.
- Sorbets and sherbets take a bit longer to churn in your ice cream machine. I churned this for about 20 minutes. It will still be soft and slushy but will firm up in your freezer.
- To preserve the bright color contrast, it’s best to layer the sherbet with the cranberry mixture. If you try to fold it in, the sherbet will turn a bright pink.
- Although you may be tempted, lowering the sugar in either component will result in an icy sherbet and icy cranberries. The lemon juice helps to balance the sweetness.
- I’ve also tried brown sugar in the cranberry compote for a more distinct flavor.



Tangerine Cranberry Sherbet

3/4 C sugar
zest of 1 large orange
2 C tangerine juice
1 T lemon juice
pinch salt
1 1/4 C whole milk
1/2 t vanilla

Cranberry Compote

1/4 C + 2 T sugar
1/4 C + 2 T water
1 t orange zest
2 t lemon juice
1 C fresh cranberries

To make the sherbet, combine the sugar and orange zest in a food processor and pulse until the sugar is aromatic and moist. Add the tangerine juice, lemon juice and salt and process until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a clean container. Whisk in the milk and vanilla. Cover and place in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.

Place all the ingredients for the Cranberry Compote in a saucepan and stir over medium low heat for about 10 minutes until the cranberries have softened and the mixture is thickened. Pour into a clean container, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill. The compote will thicken more as it cools.

Freeze the sherbet according to your machine’s instructions. It will be soft and slushy but will firm up in the freezer.

Pour about a third of the sherbet into a clean container. Dot the surface with the cranberry mixture. Pour another third of the sherbet on top. Add another layer of cranberries and then finish with the last of the sherbet. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface, cover and place in your freezer until firm.

15 comments:

whitneyingram said...

Gorgeous colors! You would think it was summer.

Thank you for your blog and the time you put in. I don't comment often, but I very much enjoy seeing your posts show up in my Google Reader. Creative recipes and beautiful pictures!

Unknown said...

That color is incredible! It sounds so good! Chilly, but good!

Valérie-jeanne said...

'Tis the season for citrus! So glad I bought an ice cream maker last year.

I too have to add my thanks. You're blog is such a lovely place to visit, the flavors, the photos. Thanks for sharing.

Happy New Year!

PAM said...

Happy New Year and thanks for all the inspirational recipes you post. I really enjoy reading your blog.

? said...

Stumbled upon your blog; loved the recipe and have marked it for trying. Thanks!

cedar chest said...

This is a nice cold way to start the year! Nice flavors! Thanks for sharing! Happy New Year!

Barbara said...

Lovely. I may be shivering in my boots, but nothing would stop me from digging into that luscious sherbet!

VelezDelights said...

Happy New Year! I hope the coming year brings you many new ideas to share with us because I really enjoy reading your blog. The recipes are always creative and the photos are always gorgeous. Keep it up! ♥

Valerie said...

What beautiful food and I bet it tastes delish!

kareninflorida said...

Oh my goodness I just juiced a dozen tangerines from my sister's tree tonight, and I have 2 cups of fresh juice! I'd love to try this gorgeous recipe, but alas, I don't have an ice cream maker yet. :( I was planning to use the juice to make a tangerine mayonnaise; but as soon as I get an ice cream maker, it's back to my sister's for more tangerines!

Keep up the good work; I LOVE your beautiful blog! :)

Dina said...

mmmmm...sounds tasty ... and add a dollop of whipped cream on top!

ceiling fans said...

Looks very colorful. I love the way the colors blend.

cocksox said...

My family would love this. Ice cream in bright colors!

Hillary said...

This was so tasty! I was searching for something to end a dinner of choucroute and this was just perfect. I was wondering if you think it would work just as well as a sorbet instead of sherbet. Would I increase the amount of juice to replace the milk or simply replace the milk with water? Thank you!

And offline--any chance you would ever consider a physical pastry studio BOOK? I really want one! I'm an accomplished graphic designer and I would help you design it...

pastry studio said...

Hello, Hillary! So pleased to hear you enjoyed this sherbet.

Sorbets are tricky as they require a lot of sugar to keep from being too icy. You could try eliminating the milk and the vanilla and mixing 3 1/2 cups of tangerine juice with 3/4 C of sugar along with the orange zest, lemon juice and pinch of salt. I hope that works for you.

As for the possibility of a book, stay tuned.