Plum Sorbet Or Granita Recipes

PLUM SORBET OR GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the red wine, clove, peppercorns, vanilla and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain into a bowl. Allow to cool. Blend the plums with the honey, corn syrup and wine syrup in a blender until smooth. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
• If you are making granita, place a 9-by-11-inch baking dish in the freezer. You may omit the corn syrup and reduce the sugar if desired.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the plum mixture for 30 seconds. If making sorbet, freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's directions. If making granita, scrape into the chilled baking dish and place back in the freezer. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the ice crystals from the outside of the baking dish toward the center. Return to the freezer and set the timer for another 30 minutes. Continue to scrape the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes until you have a uniform frozen mixture. It should not be frozen solid. If you forget to scrape and the mixture does freeze like an ice cube, cut into chunks and use a food processor fitted with the steel blade to break it up. Transfer to a container and freeze. Allow to soften for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

PLUM SORBET

Steps:

• Drain plums but reserve syrup.
• Remove stones from plums.
• Blend or process plums and syrup until smooth.
• Place plum mixture in a saucepan and add marsala, sugar and lemon juice.
• Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar melts.
• Pour into a suitable container (I use a 20cm round cake tin), cover tightly with foil (or similar) and place in the freezer.
• Leave for several hours until mixture is slushy and partially set.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Add sugar gradually, beating between each addition.
• Gently fold beaten egg whites through partially frozen plum mixture.
• Return to freezer, stirring occasionally (once or twice should do), until the mixture sets.
• Serve in glass bowls with a little cream poured over (the cream hardens and makes a lovely topping!).

PLUM GRANITA WITH SUMMER FRUIT

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar, allspice and cinnamon in heavy small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Cool syrup completely.
• Puree 1 1/2 pounds plums in processor. Press enough puree through sieve to measure 1 1/2 cups. Strain syrup into puree and blend well. Transfer mixture to 9x5x3-inch glass loaf dish. Freeze plum mixture until flaky crystals form, stirring every 30 minutes, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
• Spoon granita into 4 glass goblets. Top with peach, nectarine and plum slices and serve immediately.

SIMPLE PLUM SORBET

Steps:

• Place the sliced plums, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a blender and purée until very smooth. Push the plum puree through a fine mesh sieve to catch and large pieces of skin and discard them.
• Mix the Grand Marnier to the purée just before churning. Place the purée in an ice cream machine and churn according to instructions, for approximately 25 minutes. Serve immediately or place in an air tight container and put in the freezer for two hours to firm up.
• Makes a little less than one quart of sorbet.

PLUM GRANITA

Steps:

• Remove seeds from plum and place the plums with syrup in a blender or food processor puree the plums.
• Stir in the lemon juice and the vanilla puree the mixture,.
• Transfer the mixture to a freezer proof dish.
• Chill for eight hours or overnight.
• When your ready to serve scrape the granita with a fork to lighten the texture and serve it in chilled bowls.