Lemon Sorbet

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

Anyone who’s been to New York City in August knows that one of the best ways to
cool down is by spooning up the ubiquitous Italian ice sold by pushcart vendors all
over town. Unfortunately, it’s mostly disappointing and is never as good as what you
can easily make at home. This sorbet captures the taste of fresh lemons better than
anything you’ll find on the street.

21/2 cups (625 ml) water

1 cup (200 g) sugar (see Note)
2 lemons, preferably unsprayed
1 cup (250 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)

In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, mix 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the water and the
sugar. Grate the zest of the 2 lemons directly into the saucepan. Heat, stirring fre-
quently, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the
remaining 2 cups (500 ml) water, then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Stir the lemon juice into the sugar syrup, then freeze the mixture in your ice
cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Note: I like my Lemon Sorbet tangy. If you prefer it sweeter, you can add another
1/4 cup (50 g) of sugar.

Perfect Pairing: Freshly made Raspberry Granita (page 157) makes a lively partner
and stands up well to the puckery lemon flavor.

Lemon Sherbet
Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

If you’re looking for a light, simple, lemony frozen dessert, here it is. It’s a bit more
substantial than the Lemon Sorbet (above) and every bit as good.

3 cups (750 ml) whole milk

3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

1 lemon, preferably unsprayed

6 tablespoons (90 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
(from 2 to 3 lemons)

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 Candied Citrus Peel
makes About 1 cup (200 g), drained

Not only does this chewy candied peel make a tasty tangle atop a scoop of citrus-
flavored sorbet or ice cream, but it’s also terrific drained, finely chopped, and folded
into just-churned Super Lemon Ice Cream (page 85), Fresh Ginger Ice Cream (page 43),
or Cheesecake Ice Cream (page 62).
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, simply cook the peel until most of the
liquid has boiled away and the fine threads of peel are shiny and translucent.

4 large lemons or oranges, preferably unsprayed

2 cups (500 ml) water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Pinch of salt

With a vegetable peeler, remove stirps of peel 1 inch (3 cm) wide from the lem-
ons or oranges, cutting lengthwise down the fruit. Remove just the colorful outer
peel, leaving behind the bitter white pith. Using a very sharp chef’s knife, slice the
peel lengthwise into very thin strips no wider than a toothpick.
Put the strips of peel in a small, nonreactive saucepan, add enough water to
cover them by a few inches, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle boil and cook for
15 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain the peel, and rinse with fresh water.
Combine the 2 cups (500 ml) water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in the saucepan.
Fit the pan with a candy thermometer and bring to a boil. Add the blanched peel,
reduce the heat, and cook at a very low boil for about 25 minutes, until the ther-
mometer reads 230°F (110°C). Turn off the heat and let the peel cool in the syrup.
Once cool, lift the peel out of the syrup with a fork, letting the syrup drain away,
and serve atop ice cream or sorbet.
Storage: Store the peel in the syrup. Candied Citrus Peel can be stored in the refrig-
erator for up to 2 months.

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 Chocolate Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

My search for the ultimate chocolate ice cream ended the day I opened my ice cream
maker and took a taste of this version. And before I knew it, I’d licked the dasher as
clean as the day I bought it! Intense cocoa powder blended with unctuous dark choc-
olate results in a perfect chocolate ice cream that’s so irresistible you won’t be able
to wait to dig in either. I don’t know why, but homemade ice cream always tastes best
scraped (or, if no one’s watching, licked) directly from the machine.

2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream

3 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces (140 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm 1 cup (250 ml) of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium sauce-
pan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat
and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the
heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remain-
ing 1 cup (250 ml) cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan
as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.
Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium
bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks,
whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scrap-
ing the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour
the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth,
then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice
cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is
too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)

Perfect Pairings: To make Chocolate-Mint Ice Cream, stir 1/8 teaspoon mint oil or
extract into the custard before freezing, then fold in one recipe of homemade Pepper-
mint Patties (page 206) or 2 cups crumbled store-bought peppermint patties.

To make Rocky Road Ice Cream, fold in 11/2 cups (90 g) homemade (or miniature store-
bought) Marshmallows (page 212) and 1 cup (150 g) roasted peanuts or toasted, coarsely
chopped almonds (see page 13).

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 Black Currant Tea Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

There’s something about the slightly smoky, potent, and fruity flavor of black cur-
rant tea that makes it the perfect complement to chocolate (see Perfect Pairings,
below). But if black currants aren’t your cup of tea, substitute another aromatic
infusion, such as Earl Grey, scented with bergamot, or smoky oolong instead.

1 cup (250 ml) whole milk

2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

1/4 cup (15 g) loose black currant tea leaves

5 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, 1 cup (250 ml) of the cream, sugar, and tea leaves in a medium
saucepan. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
Rewarm the tea-infused milk. Pour the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) cream into
a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk
together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking
constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scrap-
ing the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour
the custard through the strainer into the cream, pressing gently on the tea leaves to
extract the maximum flavor from them, then discard the leaves. Stir until cool over
an ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice
cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Perfect Pairings: Make Black Currant Tea and Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream by
adding Dark Chocolate Truffles (page 211), or swirl this ice cream with Fudge Ripple
(page 210) to make Black Currant Tea and Fudge Ripple Ice Cream.

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 Sweet Potato Ice Cream with
Maple-Glazed Pecans
Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

I’ve spent many a summer night enjoying an ice cream cone, flanked by Mexican and
Filipino families, at Mitchell’s Ice Cream in San Francisco’s Mission District. This ice
cream is inspired by ube, the sweet potato ice cream they serve up in addition to all
the other exotic flavors they offer. Mitchell’s is so popular that the place is just as
packed when the inevitable summer fog rolls in and chills things down as it is when
the sun is shining. There’s always a line. But don’t think for a minute that the flavor
of this ice cream is too adventurous. Imagine a nice slab of spiced pumpkin pie; this
ice cream delivers that classic flavor in one neat scoop of ice cream.
The best sweet potatoes to use are a vivid, electric orange. I try to find the
brightest orange ones when shopping. Don’t tell, but sometimes I scrape a bit of the
skin off one, just to check.

1 pound (450 g) sweet potatoes, peeled

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (280 ml) whole milk
2/3 cup (140 g) packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt
A few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice
Wet Pecans (page 198)

Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch (3-cm) cubes. Place the cubed potatoes in a
medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer,
and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender when poked with a sharp knife. Drain the
sweet potatoes and let cool to room temperature.
Pour the milk into a blender and add the brown sugar, sweet potato pieces, cin-
namon, vanilla, and salt. Purée until very smooth, at least 30 seconds. Add lemon
juice to taste. Press the mixture through a mesh strainer, using a flexible rubber
spatula.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice
cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few min-
utes of churning, add the pecans and their syrup.

Perfect Pairings: Top with Whiskey Caramel Sauce (page 175) or Pecan-Praline
Sauce (page 176).

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