Sunday, July 6, 2008

Mango Sorbet, The Vodka Way


The ice cream maker is my new toy. Well, it's not new; I've had it awhile. But I sort of rediscovered it recently and had a revelation that homemade ice creams and sorbets are easy and better than anything you can buy. Anyone who thinks it's hard to make ice cream clearly has not tried doing it. Prep time can be as little as 10 minutes, and then it goes in a frickin' machine that does the rest of the work for you, and that waiting time is only 20 minutes. Ok, I'll admit, typically you make your mixture, chill it in the fridge, then churn it in the ice cream maker for 20 minutes, and then either serve it soft serve or freeze it. But in that scenario, you're still eating homemade ice cream within an hour and a half.


With three very ripe mangoes in my fridge, there was only one thing for me to do: Mango Sorbet. I found this recipe at Cook's Illustrated. They explain that the purpose of the vodka is not for flavor (though I'd be foolish not to recognize that enhanced flavor is an added benefit), but actually, vodka makes the texture of the completed sorbet more silky smooth as opposed to icy. But fyi, I've made sorbet without alcohol, and while vodka does seem to make a difference, the alcohol-free version is still perfectly enjoyable. You'll be a-okay either way.


Mango Sorbet
Recipe from Cook's Illustrated
Serves 4

3 medium mangoes, peeled, pitted, and flesh pureed with 1/2 cup cold water until smooth
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon vodka

1. Combine mango puree, sugar, lemon juice, and alcohol in large bowl. Stir on and off for several minutes until sugar has dissolved. (Or, to speed chilling process in next step, combine ingredients in a metal bowl set over a larger bowl filled with ice water.) Rub finger along bottom of bowl to see if sugar has dissolved.
2. Pour mixture into small container. Seal and refrigerate until mixture is no more than 40 degrees. (If mixture has been stirred over a bowl of ice water, it may already be cold enough, and this step may be omitted.)
3. Pour chilled mixture into container of an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.
4. Scoop frozen sorbet into a container. Seal and transfer container to freezer for several hours to allow sorbet to firm up. (Sorbet can be kept frozen for up to 3 days.)


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Slice up those mangoes and puree them in the food processor.

It should look like a thick but smooth soup.

Then add the sugar, lemon juice, and vodka...

Transfer the mixture to a pourable bowl like a large glass measuring cup and chill it in the fridge.

Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and churn for about 20 minutes.

It will start to thicken.

Transfer to a storage container and either serve it or freeze it. YUMMM.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mango sorbet - that is my kind of dessert! It looks great and I bet it tastes even better.

You're right that making homemade ice creams and sorbet is a snap. People are always awed when I tell them I make my own and they NEVER believe me when I say it's easy to do. :)

Ari (Baking and Books)

Anonymous said...

oh my gawd. That looks so friggin good. And we're in the middle of a very hot week. Perfect timing. Perfect photography. Perfect post.

Anonymous said...
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City Elf said...

looks AMAZING!!! i want some, i love mangoes!

Dvora Meyers said...

Folks, I've tried this sorbet, made by Marni's own hand. It is AMAZING.

Marni said...

Ari - thanks. it is so perfect for this hot weather! though i could eat it year round.

jeremy - you are making me blush.

city elf - shall i transport some to pasadena and hope it doesn't melt??

dvora - awww. and yes, my own hand! i really lied in the post and didn't use an ice cream maker, but instead churned it myself for 2 long hours with my bare hands, sweating all the while. muscle marni!

cybele said...

I know you posted this a while back, but I finally got the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer.

I'm using frozen mango chunks from Trader Joe's, which seems to be working well. I've made the slurry and it's chilling in the fridge now.

The last sorbet I made was good (strawberry & lavender) but got rock hard after only being in the freezer overnight. I'm hoping the vodka will help.

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