Denise says:
Making fresh sorbet is less challenging than you think – in fact organise your time well and it can be done in 20 minutes. Sorbets are made by freezing syrups or purées. The skill is to get the proportions right. Too much sugar and the sorbet will be oversweet, syrupy and too soft to hold its shape. Too little sugar and it will be icy, full of crystals and hard. The best result is may be obtained if the mixture is one-third sugar.
There is no question that a machine gives the best results. However, I do not own one yet and have some handy tips for those of you who are in a similar position. The addition of a little kosher gelatine (1 teaspoon for every 300ml (1/2 pint) of liquid or the addition of 1 whisked egg white does help prevent the formation of excess ice-crystals and slows down the melting process.
Also remember that if you add alcohol it freezes at a lower temperature than water. This makes the sorbets that contain alcohol softer and quicker to melt.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 40 minutes chilling & 3+ hours/ overnight freezing time
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6
Chocolate Langues de Chat
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5- 7 minutes
Makes: 30
Ingredients:
10 juicy oranges225g (8 oz) caster sugar
200ml (1/3 pint) water
3 egg whites
Chocolate Langues de Chat
100g (3 ½ oz) unsalted butter / margarine for a parev option
100g (3 ½ oz) caster sugar
3 egg whites
100g (3 ½ oz) plain flour
75g (3oz) Plain chocolate
Method
1) Finely pare the zest from the oranges, using a citrus zester, then squeeze the juice.2) Place the juice and zest in a saucepan with sugar and water and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
3) Strain the syrup into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 40 minutes.
4) In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy, and then whisk into the orange mixture.
5) For best results add to an ice-cream maker or alternatively pour the orange mixture into a shallow freezer-proof container and freeze for one hour or until the sorbet is almost frozen; mash well with a fork and refreeze until solid.
6) Remove the sorbet from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.
Chocolate Langues de Chat
1) Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6.
2) Cream the butter and sugar in a food mixer.
3) In a separate clean bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks have formed and then carefully fold into the creamed egg and sugar mixture using a metal spoon. Carefully add the flour.
4) Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment paper.
5) Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a medium sized plain nozzle. Pipe 5cm(2 inch) lengths of mixture leaving a gap between them. To achieve consistent even shaped langues de chat, (as the mixture is sticky), break off each langues de chat as you are piping by reversing the direction at the end and then jerk up.
6) Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the biscuits are golden colour and brown on the edges.
7) Lift the biscuits off the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.
8) Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a small bowl over a pan of boiling water.
9) Dip each cooled biscuit carefully in to the melted chocolate so that one-third is evenly coated.
10) Leave to set on baking parchment.
To serve the stylish Way: Place 3 scoops of orange sorbet in a glass dish and position 2 chocolate langues de chat biscuits on the top.