Here’s a great summer dessert that’s
really easy to put together, yet makes a dramatic presentation at a spring or summer
dinner party. The jewel in this dessert is a homemade strawberry sorbet, made
with local berries (don’t even bother making it with those over-sized cottony
supermarket numbers; a good fruit sorbet is all about the quality of the
ingredients). It comes together quickly in a blender
and has the fresh, tart
taste of summer days, when berries are at their peak. After a few hours of
chilling in the fridge, it’s run through an ice cream machine where it turns
into one of the best
sorbets you’ll ever taste. And when matched up with some
store-bought vanilla ice cream and crunchy meringue rounds, this dessert is a
memorable combination, refreshing, but just rich enough to satisfy any dessert
lover’s after-dinner cravings. It’s like an adult creamsicle, flavored with
strawberry instead of orange.
Strawberries
and Cream Vacherin
Makes 4 servings
Special equipment: four 3-inch diameter
ring molds that are about 2 inches high
Meringue
Rounds:
3 large (90 g) egg whites, at room
temperature
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp (90) granulated sugar
¾ cup (80) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Strawberry
Sorbet:
1 ½ cups
granulated sugar
3 cups water, divided
1 pound fresh, local strawberries
Juice of 1 lemon
Assembly:
1 ½ pints vanilla ice cream
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
A few strawberry slices for garnish
Make
the Meringue Rounds:
1. Preheat the oven to 175°F. Line a
half-sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper. Using a 3-inch ring mold as a
guide, draw at least 8 circles on the parchment paper. Turn the paper over on
the pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer
fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites at medium speed until
soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add the granulated sugar and whip at high
speed until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer
stand and gently fold in the sifted confectioner’s sugar. Transfer the meringue
to a pastry bag fitted with a medium, plain tip (Ateco #5) and pipe out eight
3-inch rounds on the paper, spiraling the meringue from the center out. Pipe
out some 2-inch long sticks and kisses with the extra meringue, if you like. Bake
the rounds 2 hours, or until they are dry and crisp. Turn the oven off and
leave the meringues in the oven for another hour. Cool completely.
Make
the sorbet:
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the
sugar with 1 ½ cups of the water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to
dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat, and cool the syrup
completely.
4.
Wash and hull the fresh strawberries and place them in a blender with
the lemon juice. Blend until completely pureed and smooth.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the
strawberry puree with the cooled syrup and remaining 1 ½ cups water. Cover and
chill for at least 2 hours.
6. Process in an ice cream machine
according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the sorbet to an
airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.
Assemble
the desserts:
7. Half fill the 4 ring molds with
Strawberry Sorbet, packing it down to fill any air pockets. Fill the remainder
of each mold with vanilla ice cream and freeze the molds for at least 3 hours,
until firm.
8. Place a meringue round on each serving
plate. Unmold each dessert by placing it on an inverted cup and wrapping a hot,
damp towel around the mold (or use a blowtorch to warm the sides of the mold).
Slip off the mold by pushing it down. Place each dessert on a meringue round
and top with another round. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with
strawberry slices and meringue sticks and kisses.
