This week we began the Dog Days of summer. I have heard many of my NYC friends pleading for some relief. Nobody wants to do anything… especially bake. Here in Dallas we are no stranger to the long, hot summer. So this week our treat of the week is first aid for the weather weary.
You will be amazed at how simple this treat is to make, yet the taste is unbelievably good. It is made with a much higher liquid to cream ratio than ice cream which lets the fresh watermelon flavor shine through in a very light way. There is only a handful of ingredients which is one of the best things about making ice cream and similar treats at home (I love seeing what goes in my food). Fortunately, at this point in the season no matter where you are on the planet, your local grocer has watermelons… and they are probably on sale.
If you wish to have this for company this weekend, get a head start by making it up tonight and tucking away in the freezer. Don’t be surprised if the taste of this takes you right back to your childhood days… sitting on the stoop with a triangle slice, spitting pips into the yard. It truly was one of the best parts of summer.
savour… cool breeze and shade trees
WATERMELON SORBETTO
Before you start:
You may wish to separate the seeds and pips from the watermelon in advance.
You could skip the food processor step, but I prefer a smooth texture.
It helps to use chilled stainless steel bowls (I usually put mine in the freezer for about 30 min. before I start).
It is important that you gently fold the cream so as to not break up too much.
The mint was added as a garnish here, but could easily be incorporated into the recipe. The taste combination is fantastic.
The ingredients:
- 1 1/4 lb watermelon pulp (about 2 cups of chunks)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- fresh mint
The method:
- Cut the watermelon into chunks.
- Squeeze the pulp to release juice.
- Remove any seeds.
- Add lemon juice.
- Blend or whirl through a food processor to smooth out the mixture.
- Heat sugar, water, and 3 tablespoons of the watermelon mixture to dissolve.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks.
- Stir the dissolved sugar (syrup) into the watermelon mixture.
- Fold some of the watermelon mixture into the cream to loosen it up (careful here… don’t break up the cream too much).
- Fold the cream into the rest of the watermelon.
- Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine.
- Follow instructions for your ice cream machine to “set” ice cream (usually around 25-30 min).
- Pour into a bowl (stainless steel would be best) and place into the freezer to finish freezing (approximately 2 hours).
- Top with fresh mint (optional, but highly recommended)
