Mango, Raspberry Sorbets & Mint Sugar

You’re gonna have to pry it from the clutches of my cold dead hands.

Ok, admittedly that’s a tad bit dramatic. I’m just not ready to let summer go. And to demonstrate this defiance, I decided to make sorbet.

Actually I decided to make two different types of sorbets. And serve it with the most summery of fruit I could think of…melon. And top that with a very summery herb…mint (actually, mint sugar). You hear that mother nature? You’re not the boss of me.

Wow, now that I’ve gotten that totally irrational tirade out of my system, let’s talk dessert, y’all.

This will be my last culinary attempt to hold on to summer. So, I’m gonna make it a twofer: Mango and Raspberry Sorbets (with Mint Sugar).

I think both of these sorbets are amazing and could be served on their own, but there’s something with how they play off of each other that make them a perfect dessert combo.

Like a ripe raspberry, the Raspberry Sorbet is fresh, sweet and super tart. It just oozes summertime in your mouth. And then there’s the Mango Sorbet. It’s tropical and smooth with an almost creamy flavor.

In this case I decided to pair them with a cool slice of honeydew melon and a sprinkle of Mint Sugar. Both of these elements bring something to the table…they help to balance out the tartness of the sorbets. The Mint Sugar is sweet and minty cool. And the melon is sweet and refreshing.

NOTE: I usually add gelatin to sorbets. This time around I omitted the gelatin – neither recipe called for it. The texture of the Mango Sorbet was spot on. But the raspberry sorbet was a tad icy. I assume this is because unlike the mangos, raspberries are not fleshy and are almost entirely made of water.

The next time I try this recipe (and I definitely will), I will add gelatin to make sure that the final product has a smoother texture.

Enjoy!

MANGO SORBET (from Gourmet Magazine, July 1997)

4 ripe mangos (about 3 1/2 pounds total)

1 cup Simple Syrup

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap.

Using a sharp knife, remove the 2 flat sides of each mango, cutting lengthwise alongside pit and cutting as close to pit as possible so that mango flesh is in 2 large pieces. With a spoon carefully scoop flesh from mango sides into a blender. With a knife cut remaining flesh from pit and add to blender. Add syrup and lime juice to blender and purée until smooth.

Freeze mango purée in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. Freeze until hard, about 4 hours.

Yields about 6 cups

MINT SUGAR (Adapted from The Instant Cook by Donna Hay)

½ cup sugar

¼ cup finely chopped mint leaves

Place the sugar and mint in a food processor and process until well combines. Place in an air tight container and refrigerate until needed.

RASPBERRY SORBET (from MarthaStewart.com)

1 cup sugar

1 3/4 cups plus 4 teaspoons water

6 cups (1 2/3 pounds) raspberries

Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Let syrup cool.

Pulse raspberries and remaining 3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons water in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve set in a deep bowl or a large glass measuring cup. Using a rubber spatula, gently press down on the mixture to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids.

Transfer raspberry puree to a deep bowl or airtight container. Add syrup, and stir until well combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturers’ instructions. Transfer sorbet to a large airtight container, and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Tagged as: Fruit, Mangos, Mint, Raspberries, summer