Thursday, August 26, 2010

Chocolate Sorbet, Mango Sorbet, Peach Mango Sorbet and A GIVEAWAY!!

It’s still summer and still hot (even though the boys went back to school yesterday.  Yippee.  Shh, don’t tell them I said that.)  Therefore, I’ve still been putting my ice cream makers to good use.  But I don’t always just make fattening, rich ice creams.   I’ve also been kicking it up with some great sorbets.

The Apricot Sorbet I posted recently was one of my favorites. 

I made a heavenly Mango Sorbet a few weeks ago.  (Photo taken right after churning.)

IMG_2635

This one was adapted from a recipe I found at Food Reference.com.  It was so creamy and I loved the taste of it more than I thought I would (mango is not my favorite fruit, but I do like it okay). 

Mango Sorbet, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from www.foodreference.com

2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced

6 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons agave nectar (you could use sugar or honey)

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.

Chill the mixture until very cold.  (I like using an ice bath, put ice and water in a big bowl.  With your mixture in a smaller bowl, set the bowl with the mixture into the bigger bowl.  Let sit 15-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.  It gets cold really fast!)

Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.  It’s perfect served right away or just as great frozen for a few hours.  Once frozen, let sit in airtight container on counter for a few minutes to soften for easier scooping.   (Photo below taken after freezing—still so creamy!)

IMG_2690 

Well, I’ve come into a bunch of mangoes lately.  So I decided to whip up more sorbet after the first batch was all gone.  But sitting on the counter was also a couple of almost overripe peaches that weren’t going to get eaten fresh.  So I pitted them and cut them into chunks to go along with a couple more mangoes I had.  I actually blended the mangoes first in my blender with some agave nectar, water and lime juice.  It was after that I thought of adding the peaches, so I blended the peaches separately, but you could probably do everything together.  To the peaches I added a little more agave and some more lime juice.  I strained the peach nectar through a fine mesh strainer to remove the skin.  I whisked the two blended fruits together, chilled them for a while, then churned them in an ice cream maker.

Peach Mango Sorbet

DSCF4601

Peach Mango Sorbet, by Katrina at Baking and Boys!, adapted from David Lebovitz’s Mango Sorbet

2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced

2 large peaches, pitted and diced

1/3 cup agave nectar plus 1/4 cup agave (you really can add however much you’d like, I would even use less next time) Sugar or honey would work, too.

1/3 cup water

4 teaspoons lime juice

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the peach skins.  Chill the mixture until very cold.  Churn according to manufacturer’s instruction in ice cream maker.  Serve immediately or freeze for a few hours in an airtight container.  Let sit on counter for a few minutes before serving to make scooping easier.

HANG IN THERE—GIVEAWAY INFO TO COME!!!

One more sorbet I’ve made recently, before I tell you about this awesome giveaway is a Chocolate Sorbet.  We can’t leave chocolate out of a post, now can we? ;)  See here it is---

IMG_2743

Ooh, yum, chocolaty!  I’m stalling here.

You see, I’m not always perfectly diligent about marking a recipe I’ve made with the date.  I’m also not very diligent about marking the container with WHAT is in it.  So I have chocolate sorbet and I THINK it’s David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Sorbet from his book The Perfect Scoop, but I don’t know for sure.  It’s not marked in the book that I made it that day.  I HAVE made it before, a couple times.  And I love it.  But rack my brains, I really don’t remember if that is this chocolate sorbet.  See, I’ve tried others.  They’re all good.  They’re chocolate.

See, as I write this, I’m thinking, it has to be David’s recipe.  Then I look at the recipe and I really don’t remember doing that.  His recipe calls for Dutch-process cocoa, which I don’t have right now.  But I could have made my own Dutch-process cocoa, I just cannot remember.  (Homemade Dutch process cocoa is 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.)  Sigh.  Anyone know how to fix this problem with my brain?

I’ll wait.

Nope.  No one.  Sigh.  I think I need some chocolate sorbet to help me out here. 

Ok, quick look here and I’m not finding DL’s Chocolate Sorbet recipe available online (I didn’t look extensively), so I’m not going to repost it.

BUT I think if you like making your own ice creams, sorbets and the like, that you should just buy the book.  I’ve left you an Amazon link to do so.  The chocolate sorbet is great.  I actually haven’t made a single recipe from The Perfect Scoop that I didn’t like.  It’s ice cream, People, what’s not to like.  Ok, I’ll shut up now.

What?  You say I said something about a giveaway.  Well, the people at EatSmart asked me if I wanted to do a review for one of their kitchen scales.  It’s the EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale to be precise.

IMG_2729

I have been loving it, using it from everything to making these sorbets recipes, to cookies, to pretty much everything I can weigh.  I already had and use most often a digital kitchen scale for precise measuring.  What I love about this EatSmart scale is that you can measure in four ways—grams, ounces, kilograms or pounds.  I also love that you can set a bowl on the scale and measure one ingredient, then leave the bowl there, zero out the scale, measure something else, and so on.  I love the zeroing out feature, called tare.  You’d love it, too.

Want one?  EatSmart would love to give one to one of my lucky readers as well.  All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me what one thing you would love to be able to measure most.  Besides flour, I love being able to measure peanut butter (No more messy measuring cups, just plop it in a bowl on the scale!).  Since I just made and posted those fantastic Butterfinger Cookies, I was SO excited to measure the peanut butter with this scale.  These are the things that truly make me happy.  (I know, get a life, Katrina, right?)

So leave me a comment on this post, (don’t forget to tell me what one thing you would love to be able to measure), I will randomly pick one winner to get one of these EatSmart food scales.  (Sorry, winners are limited to the United States.)  Make sure your comment has a way for me to get a hold of you if you are the chosen winner.  Comments will be accepted until Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at midnight, MST.  A winner will be chosen and posted Wednesday (Sept. 1) morning.  Thanks, EatSmart.  Good luck!

_____________________________________________________

This post has been added to the BSI Mango Round Up at Nutmeg Nanny 4-10-11!

57 comments:

Suzanne aka vivisue said...

WOW, WOW, and WOW! Oh, and another WOW for the giveaway! I LOVE our little ice cream maker and have used it several times this summer. Looks like I will be using it at least three more times! As for the scales, it seems more and more recipes are calling for "weight" measurements rather than "3 tomatoes". I need to weigh so much, I don't know where to start - so I'll just say tomatoes since I was recently faced with weighing out 3lbs for Winnie's Tomato Ginger Jam recipe. Great post! Thanks for the giveaway chance!

Shari said...

oooh, I would love to have a scale. I would weigh everything, but I really think the most important thing is flour! I'm a big baker, and you know how important it is to have the right amount of flour. No more scooping/spooning/hoping!

Nancy said...

I was going to can some cherry pie filling this summer (which got put on the side, so I just froze the cherries instead), but I needed a scale to weigh the amount of cherries I needed! And it would be so nice to weigh lots of those hard to manage, sticky gooey things instead of trying to get them out of a measuring cup. I plan on making lots of bread once the cool weather hits and I know it's better to weigh the flour for bread, rather than measure it. I would LOVE to win this giveaway!
Thanks Katrina for the great giveaway!

nlarma at gmail dot com

Sarah said...

I'd measure pasta and meat. cause I'm never sure how much a serving is!

Katrina said...

For Linda SanGiorgio--

Ok....wouldn't let me post in the blog, so I'm sending it here...hope that's ok....

I'd love to weigh any baking ingredients, soooo much easier than measuring (just ask Alton Brown). Also, on my (curse word) diet, I have to weigh and I hate it on the inaccurate scale I have now.
Thanx Katrina, for this opportunity!!"

Tiffany Winters said...

If you are a serious cook enough to measure your peanut butter for those FANTASTIC butterfinger cookies, you've got a life my friend, and you're living it! I think I would use the scale for would be measuring out portions of food at dinner time. I am horrible when it comes to portions. I might be able to lose the weight I want to if I start measuring...

Rachel Anderson said...

Oooh, now that I'm drooling... I've just put a new ice cream maker on my Christmas list. As for measuring, all my recipes from Portugal are in grams. All of them. So I would use it to measure all dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, etc.

I wish you were my next-door neighbor. I would do your laundry in exchange for a taste of your treats. There would be more of me to love, but I would be a very happy girl. :)

rachel dot smith dot anderson at gmail dot com

Lisa said...

I would love to be able to measure chocolate.

luke & sammy said...

I would use the scale to measure something to do with baking, forget portion- I am all about the cookies :)

Kelly said...

I've got the same problem that Rachael has with my recipes from the metric world.

I'd most likely use my scale for meat. I've been buying in bulk from Costco and repackaging back down for my freezer.

Kelly Beal

Granny Jacque said...

I would use the scale to measure shortening and peanut butter. It would save lots of time and mess as a cup of shortening or peanut butter weighs 8 ounces. I'm all for less dishes and more time when cooking.

webmailaddress2 said...

I would measure cereal because I'm always so tempted to eat more than I should when I'm snacking!

Karen said...

For me, it would have to be honey or for that matter anything that is gooey, sticky, and messy to clean so I guess that would include peanut butter, molasses, agave, maple syrup etc...

Amanda Gates said...

I would use it to measure meat I always buy it in large packs and never know how much to cook!!!

Unknown said...

Katrina - I would love a scale to measure all the wonderful food that I think I should be able to consume. Why are servings so SMALL and my waist so BIG!
PS I also hate to measure peanut butter and shortening. If you scale takes care of that then it's a winner!

♥peachkins♥ said...

those are luscious sorbets!!!

Deeba PAB said...

I would LOVE to measure almond meal to get those feet right on macarons LOL! Refreshingly wonderful flood of sorbets, and I simply love the peach mango combination! Thanks for making life so cool!

sweet delight said...

I would actually love to start weighing ingredients for flour and sugar - I know this is probably one area my baked goods could improve in...more accurate measuring!

Unplanned Cooking said...

I can't let summer wrap up without making a sorbet! Especially that chocolate one...

Hmm, what would I measure??? I don't know. Flour?

Twila said...

I would like to be able to measure tomatoes when I make salsa and pizza sauce, and also potatoes, because my recipe takes 4 pounds. Usually I just kind-of guess, or try to use the bathroom scale.

Kerstin said...

What lovely sorbets - I want to try them all!

I'd give the scale to my hubby to take to work - he's a weight lifter and always complains that he wishes he had one at work to measure his lunches and snacks (we already have one at home that I love and use often when cooking!).

Megan said...

Mangoes and I are lifelong BFF's. The fact that you "came into" a lot of mangoes makes me extremely jealous.

Really jealous.

AND I'm sitting here watching Alexander eat a very large bowl of Chocolate Sorbet. Cosmic coincidence? Yes, I think you and I have chocolate on the brain at all times.

Ellen Kim said...

I'd like to measure flour with the scale! I don't have a scale right now, so I do measuring by volume. It'd be so cool to start using a scale!

Henria O. said...

I'd like to measure a variety of items with the scale: meats, fish, cheeses, flour, pasta, rice!
sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com

Barbara Bakes said...

I love your tip about measuring peanut butter with a scale. Great idea! The sorbets sounds fabulous. I have yet to make sorbet.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Your sorbets look delicious, as does your giveaway. The scale is fantastic. I'd use it for baking and portion control. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

Heidi said...

I have a recipe for graham crackers that uses metric measurements. I've been waiting to make it until I get a scale! And I've got to try that chocolate ganache ice cream this weekend. We've got visitors coming and it sounds delicious.

Stephanie said...

The sorbets look delicious! I look forward to making these for C when she's older.

I would weigh everything on the scale! It would help me tackle recipes I have saved but am too scared to try because the measurements are in weight instead.

CindyD said...

I'd weigh Crisco, 'cause I HATE trying to pack it in a measuring cup. Yes, I still use Crisco sometimes - I have two favorite cookie recipes that aren't the same without it.
Love your blog!

Natalie said...

mmmm i need to try to make some sorbets now that i have an ice cream maker! we need to go for some lighter options and there are perfect :)

great giveaway---like you, flour is what i would weigh the most!

Shanbanan said...

Everyone is measuring flour these days, and I can't without a good scale. Need this in my house.

Elaine said...

Weighing dry ingredients, baking gluten free now I think this would be a great asset!

Suzanne said...

I weigh most things these days. It is just easier. It also helps with portion control- which I need to do more of.

Unknown said...

Oooh soo many sorbets! I love them, tasty, and yet not too unhealthy. They all look fab!!

Carol from Ohio said...

I'd love to have a scale...I'd use it to make my ground beef/turkey patties all the same weight when we grill them.

Cardboard Hour said...

I want to be able to measure my flour for when i bake bread!

Emily said...

Great giveaway!

Since I moved away from my parents, I no longer have access to a kitchen scale. :( I'd love to be able to measure flour.

I want that chocolate sorbet. Chocolate always wins over fruit.

Beth said...

I can't win, since I live in Canada, but I had to tell you how great those sorbets look! I don't eat a lot of mangoes either, but I do like mango sorbet.

Liz said...

What a fun giveaway! I actually have a kitchen scale so I guess I'll take myself out of the running, but I wanted to say that a) David Lebovitz's recipes have never led me astray and I agree with you, his books are awesome and 2) all of your sorbets look delicious! It's been so hot I just want to take an ice cream bath. Please scoop me one immediately. :)

Anonymous said...

Lots of things....butter, shortning, peanut butter --- AND mail (for postage amounts)
digicat {AT} sbcglobal {DOT} net

Wendy said...

YUUUUUMMMMMMY! Now i'm craving sorbet or ice cream or any cool yummy dessert! =)

I love to be able to weigh marshmellow creme, shortening or corn syrup! Those are the worst trying to get out of measuring cups! My husband would love to weigh deer meat to make his own sausage. I might let him borrow it if I win! ; )

Thanks so much for all the great recipes and the chance at this giveaway! you rock!!

(aggiewrk at hotmail dot com)

Bob said...

Well that blasted Alton Brown always has weight measurements in his recipes so I would use it for his stuff LOL!

virginia said...

Wow! I would love weighing, not measuring bread flour. It's supposed to be so much more accurate, but at this point I wouldn't know. I make bread weekly and this would be great.

Michelle said...

Flour for sure but I like your idea of P Butter...

Unknown said...

I've always wanted to try making sorbet and ice cream, but am hesitant to buy an ice cream maker and having it take up space. The sorbets look delicious though!

Other than the obvious flour measuring, I'd love to measure corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk - that would be so helpful for scaling (pun intended :) ) down recipes. Oh, and powdered sugar, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, almond paste, tomato paste, chocolate, noodles, cheese...I could go on and on...

susitravl said...

I really need to weigh my meat (attempting portion control) because I can't tell from looking at it.

White Toast with Butter said...

I would use it to measure everything - baking ingredients and meat portions as well.

teejay said...

Sorbets look delightful! I'd love to win the scale so I could weigh out equal portions of rolls and my daughter's favorite vegan sausages!

Jane said...

A scale in my kitchen would make me so happy!! I would love to measure peanut butter as well. I love to use it in recipes but it's so messy.

Niveditha said...

Thanks for this giveaway...It is very important for me to measure flour for my baking goodies and winning this scale would enable me to make the right judgment..

ramvinayak_81@rediffmail.com

Anonymous said...

1st your sorberts look wonderful - mango and chocolate - what a great double dip wish i could dive right in now.

i would use the scale to measure flour. it hadn't occurred to me use one for things like peanut butter but now that you mention it .....

jacquieastemborski AT comcast DOT net

Paula said...

I would measure cake batter so that I could be certain each layer was the same amount.

Courtney Peacock said...

A food scale is one of those things that I think I've always wanted, but have never really known I wanted. Know what I mean?
I would like to be able to measure meat. and sugar, flour, and other baking supplies. And other random things, just because.

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