Monday, 31 December 2012

Red Apple Sorbet


As you may already know, I received a Kitchen aid Stand Mixer for Christmas this year.  I went ahead and ordered the Ice Cream Maker attachment.  It arrived yesterday morning.  I promptly put that bad boy in the freezer so it could freeze for the required 15 hours and while I waited I decided to prepare my first Sorbet.

Most recipes I found called for Granny Smith apples.  Now, I am not a fan of these tart apples, and since we bought a 50 lb bag of red apples in September, I pulled some peeled cored and quartered frozen ones out of the freezer and let them thaw.  I also went to the local liquor store and found a small shooter bottle of Calvados for $4 (there is probably enough to make 3-5 recipes).

I wasn't sure where to find caster sugar, so I made my own using a recipe I found posted on Frugal Living.

When I put the food colouring into the mixture I was wondering what it was going to turn out like.

 
 
 
 
Thankfully the colour was delightful!  The mixture lightens and looks so much better when it freezes.  I used regular food colouring - nothing special - however you foodies might have something fancier to use.



I am so happy I changed the recipe to use the apples I had on hand.  I love blueberries and plan to make a blueberry sorbet next.  At this rate I will need to buy another freezer and I might end up having a blog dedicated to Sorbets!

If you are using the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Attachment, I recommend that you promptly rinse it clean with cold water after using it, this way it stays cold and you can put it back in the freezer to enjoy your next batch of ice cream or sorbet in less time!





Red Apple Sorbet

 
(adapted from Decadence by Philip Johnson)
makes about 1.5 litres (6 cups)
 
750g (1.6lbs) red apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
juice of 1/2 a lemon
250ml (1 cup) water
375g (1.5 heaped cups) caster sugar
3 teaspoons calvados, optional
1/8 teaspoon liquid green food colouring, optional
 
Place the apples, lemon juice, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the apples until they are extremely soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Once the apples have cooled transfer them to a blender and blend until the mixture becomes a smooth puree. Stir through the calvados and green food colouring, if using. Refrigerate the apple mixture until cold.
 
Remove the mixture from the fridge and churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.
 
Once adequately frozen, transfer the sorbet to a container, cover tightly, and place in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours.

The Beginning!

Looks like I was a good girl this year!  Santa brought me what I had been eyeing up for these past few years - a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer 325W in Stainless Steel! 



I had been drooling over the accessories in order to start making home made pasta and ground meat.  The coveted accessory that I wanted to buy was the Ice Cream Mixer.  I had read some great reviews saying that it was one of the top 5 ice cream makers out there. 

I have decided to start this blog in order to share with you my adventures in cooking and modifying and creating recipes for you and your friends/family to enjoy.  Not all of my recipes will feature my lovely Kitchen Aid Mixer, however, I will be sure to mention the tools I use to prepare these recipes.    I will also mention any great deals I find  so everyone can save a few dollars!

Thank you for dropping by and check back soon for my next recipe!


Love,

Mikki