Almond Sherbet Recipes

TOASTED ALMOND SHERBET WITH ALMOND SPIKES

Steps:

• Toast the almonds lightly, and with a pair of tongs, remove 16 almonds, then continue toasting the rest until they are extremely dark. While the almonds are still hot, put them into the milk, stir, and let sit until cool. Puree in a blender and strain through a fine chinois or a wet cheesecloth lined sieve. Re-measure and add more milk to make 4 cups. Whisk in simple syrup and the scrapings from vanilla beans. Freeze in the ice cream freezer, according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Put the sugar into a saucepan. Pour the water around the edge of the pan carefully to avoid any splashing up of the water or sugar crystals on the walls of the pan. Draw your finger through the sugar in an X, to let the water cover the sugar completely. Bring the sugar water to a boil and, without stirring, continue to cook until amber colored.
• Meanwhile, stick toothpicks in the ends of the 16 toasted almonds and put a pound of butter or a piece of styrofoam on a counter or a tall shelf. Test the color of the caramel periodically by placing a drop of the caramel on a white plate. When it is slightly lighter than you want it, stop the cooking by placing the bottom of the pot in a bowl of ice water. Swirl it a bit to evenly distribute the color.
• Dip the almonds in the caramel and suspend them over your work surface by sticking the toothpick in the butter or styrofoam, and allow the caramel to drip down causing a long strand to form. Once they are cooled, place them in an airtight container.
• Serve scoops of the sherbet garnished with 2 almond spikes.

ALMOND SHERBET

Steps:

• Whisk the sweetened condensed milk and water together in a bowl, and stir in the sugar and almond extract until the drink is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Mix in a drop or two of green food coloring, or as desired; chill to serve.

ALMOND BLANCMANGE WITH CARAMEL GLAZE AND SAGE SHERBET

Steps:

• Make blancmange:
• Soak almonds in 3 cups milk, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours. Blend almond mixture in 2 batches in a blender until smooth, about 3 minutes per batch.
• Rinse kitchen towel under cold water and wring out as much water as possible. Line a large sieve with towel, then set sieve over a bowl or 4-cup glass measure and pour half of almond mixture into towel. Wrap towel up and around mixture and, working over sieve, squeeze almond milk from towel into bowl, discarding ground nuts once all of liquid is extracted. Repeat procedure with remaining almond mixture until you have about 2 1/4 cups almond milk.
• With a vegetable peeler remove zest from orange and lemon. Bring zests, sugar, and remaining cup milk to a simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over cream in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Pour warm zest mixture through a sieve into gelatin mixture, discarding zest, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in almond milk.
• Divide almond mixture among soup plates (about 1/2 cup each; they will not be full), stirring before ladling so gelatin is evenly distributed. Chill, loosely covered once cold, until set, about 4 hours.
• Make sherbet:
• Bring water, sugar, corn syrup, dry milk, and sage leaves to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Pour warm sage mixture through a sieve into gelatin mixture, discarding sage leaves, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let stand, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until cold, about 10 minutes.
• Freeze sherbet in ice cream maker (it will initially double in volume and then shrink as it freezes), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden slightly, at least 1 hour.
• Make caramel:
• Stir together Amaretto, cream, and 1/3 cup water in a 2-cup measure and set aside.
• Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then wash down any crystals from side of skillet with a pastry brush dipped in water. Boil syrup, without stirring, until it becomes a deep golden caramel (swirl skillet if necessary to help syrup caramelize evenly), about 5 minutes. Turn heat off and immediately add Amaretto mixture (mixture will bubble up and steam), then cook over moderate heat, stirring, until any solid caramel is dissolved and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over remaining water in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Add hot caramel mixture and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Put bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let stand, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until just cool, about 5 minutes.
• Gently spoon about 3 tablespoons Amaretto caramel glaze evenly over each gelled blancmange, then chill desserts, uncovered, until glaze is set, at least 3 hours.
• Serve desserts with a scoop of sage sherbet and a wafer.