Ready for Dessert (30 page)

Spoon the meringue onto the sorbet-filled orange halves, dividing it evenly, and bake until the meringue is nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Serve right away.

STORAGE:
Before baking, the meringue-topped oranges can be kept in the freezer for up to 8 hours.

VARIATION:
You can make this dessert using tangerines or regular oranges instead.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS (750 ML)

In the ‘80s, sangria’s reputation took a nosedive when it came to be known as a syrupy-sweet wine sold in green bottles with a toreador deftly skirting a charging bull on the label. But if you go to Spain, you’ll quickly realize that real sangria isn’t a sugary liquid confection, but a fruity, icy cold drink that goes down easily, especially when the temperature outside is soaring. This simple-to-make sorbet turns sangria into a frozen dessert that’s even more refreshing than it is as a beverage. And that’s no bull.

¾ cup (150 g) sugar

6 tablespoons (90 ml) water

1 cup (250 ml) fruity red wine, such as Zinfandel or Merlot

1½ cups (375 ml) freshly squeezed orange or tangerine juice

1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec

Grated zest of 1 orange, preferably organic

In a medium saucepan, warm the sugar and water, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl, add the red wine, orange or tangerine juice, orange-flavored liqueur, and orange zest. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

SERVING:
The ideal summertime accompaniment is lightly sweetened slices of peaches or nectarines with a few berries tossed in the mix. In the winter, use orange and grapefruit segments.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (1 LITER)

If you can’t decide whether to serve something chocolatey or fruity for dessert, this sorbet is for you (and your guests). It’s incredibly easy to make, and even people like me, who aren’t especially fond of chocolate and fruit combinations, will be won over.

1½ cups (375 ml) water

⅔ cup (130 g) sugar

6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1½ cups (375 ml) freshly squeezed tangerine juice

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate, and whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the tangerine juice.

Pour the mixture into a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

VARIATION:
You can replace the tangerine juice with freshly squeezed orange juice, but make sure that it’s flavorful so that it stands up to the taste of the chocolate.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (1 LITER)

The first time I split open a passion fruit and slurped down the dripping juices, the intense flavor knocked me for such a loop that I felt as if a tropical bomb had gone off in my head. From then on, I was hooked.

Depending on where you live, fresh passion fruit may be hard to find, but they’re well worth tracking down. Don’t shy away from ones that are a tad wrinkled, as the creases indicate ripeness (they’re often marked down in price, too!). You can also buy frozen passion fruit purée (see
Resources
), which is inexpensive and convenient. It’s great to have on hand in the freezer: I’ll often lop off a chunk and add it to a pitcher of orange juice for a morning tropical blast.

3 cups (750 ml) freshly squeezed tangerine juice

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1 cup (250 ml) strained fresh passion fruit pulp (from about 12 passion fruits; see Tip) or thawed frozen purée

¼ cup (60 ml) Champagne or other sparkling wine, or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vodka

In a medium saucepan, warm 1 cup of the tangerine juice with the sugar, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and add the remaining tangerine juice, the passion fruit pulp or purée, and the Champagne, other sparkling wine, or vodka. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

VARIATION:
To make
TANGERINE SORBET
, omit the passion fruit juice and use a total of 4 cups (1 liter) freshly squeezed tangerine juice.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (1 LITER)

There were quite a few things I missed about the Bay Area when I packed up my bags and moved to France. Burritos, bean-to-bar chocolates, and “centered” people were some of them. Okay, I didn’t miss the centered people. But I was surprised at how much I missed Meyer lemons, which are sweeter and more perfumed than regular Eureka lemons. Their vibrant, deep yellow color makes other lemons pale in comparison.

If you’re lucky enough to know someone with a Meyer lemon tree, you’re likely to be handed a large sack of them when the fruits are in season. Some greengrocers and specialty markets now carry them, too. Otherwise, you can use regular Eureka lemons in this recipe, but increase the sugar to 1 cup (200 g).

2½ cups (625 ml) water

¾ cup (150 g) sugar

Grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon, preferably organic

1 cup (250 ml) freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

¼ cup (60 ml) Champagne or other sparkling wine, or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vodka

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and lemon zest to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a medium bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Stir in the lemon juice and Champagne, other sparkling wine, or vodka. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

MAKES 1 QUART (1 LITER) SORBET AND ABOUT 40 COOKIES; 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Sitting in the sun, overlooking the beach, I could drink margaritas all day. Unfortunately, or maybe I should say, fortunately, I don’t live in a warm climate or anywhere near a beach. If I did, I’d never get anything done.

Whenever I’m looking for a taste of the tropics at home in Paris, I’ll start squeezing limes in my kitchen and I’m immediately transported to paradise (albeit with bills piled up on the counter and the dishes in the sink).

Practically obligatory to serve alongside margarita sorbet are salted peanut cookies. They were inspired by the disks of solid peanut paste sold in Mexican markets called
mazapan
or
dulce de cacahuate,
which I’ve been known to nibble on with a margarita, or two, south of the border. And above it, as well.

SORBET

3 cups (750 ml) water

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

Grated zest of 4 limes, preferably organic

1 cup (250 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

½ cup (125 ml) tequila

2 tablespoons (30 ml) plus 2 teaspoons orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec

COOKIES

¾ cup (115 g) unsalted roasted peanuts

¾ cup (110 g) all-purpose flour

½ cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (60 g) packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon boiling water

½ teaspoon baking soda

Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

To make the sorbet, in a medium saucepan, bring the water, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, and lime zest to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and let cool completely. Stir in the lime juice, tequila, and orange-flavored liqueur. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

To make the cookies, position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, grind the peanuts with the flour until the peanuts are in small but discernable pieces—not too fine.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, and the brown sugar on medium speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the egg.

In a small bowl, mix together the boiling water and baking soda and then mix it into the butter mixture. Add the peanut-flour mixture and stir just until combined.

Place heaping teaspoons of the batter in mounds at least 2½ inches (6 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. (You should be able to fit 8 per sheet.) Rap the pan a few times on the counter to flatten the mounds slightly, then sprinkle each with a very generous pinch of sea salt.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until the cookies are evenly deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then use a thin metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Repeat to bake the remaining batter.

To serve, offer a few scoops of margarita sorbet with a few peanut crisps alongside.

STORAGE:
The cookie batter can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month. The crisps can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (1 LITER) SORBET; 8 SERVINGS

There’s nothing I like better than very,
very
cold Champagne. So cold that I usually drop a small ice cube into my glass to make sure it’s as chilled as possible. I always feared that it was offensive and crass to ice down Champagne until I went to a tasting of Krug Champagne, considered by many to be the finest of them all. I didn’t dare drop an ice cube into any of the glasses that were presented to me, but I did confide that I often did so to one of their experts, who surprised me by saying that it’s perfectly acceptable to put a bit of ice in Champagne for the very reason I do it.

For this sorbet, you don’t need to use the finest French Champagne. In fact, I’ve made it successfully with Italian prosecco and Spanish cava—without offending anyone.

2 cups (500 ml) freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice

¾ cup (150 g) sugar

1 cup (250 ml) Champagne or other sparkling wine

Champagne or other sparkling wine, for serving

In a small saucepan, warm ½ cup (125 ml) of the grapefruit juice and the sugar, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves.

Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and add the remaining grapefruit juice and the Champagne or other sparkling wine. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

To serve, scoop the sorbet into chilled serving glasses or Champagne flutes and pour Champagne or other sparkling wine over. Serve right away.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (1 LITER)

I know you’re going to be tempted to use seedless watermelon here, but don’t. I’ve never tasted one that I particularly liked. And because I have a penchant for making things harder than they should be, I don’t mind plucking out the seeds. For some reason, the harder something is to make, the better it tastes. (And I wonder why I spend a majority of my life in the kitchen.)