French Provincial Cooking - Elizabeth David [232]
Many people now freeze their sorbets and ice creams by putting the mixture directly into moulds or containers in the deep freeze. This system has much the same disadvantages as that of the refrigerator tray, in that there is no expansion of the mixture, and that ice crystals form in it. The freezing process, however, is much quicker, the inconvenience of keeping the refrigerator at maximum freezing point for a long period is eliminated, and storage is no problem. For simple fruit sorbets the freezer system has fewer disadvantages than for cream ices. Even for these, the advantages of home-made ices over commercial ones seem to me very great, although it can rarely be claimed that they are cheaper.
GLACE AU CITRON
LEMON ICE
pint of thin cream, the yolks of 4 small or 3 large eggs, 3 to 4 oz. of soft white sugar, the juice and grated peel of 1 large lemon.
Grate the peel of the lemon into the cream. Add the very well beaten egg yolks and the sugar. Stir over low heat until the mixture is the consistency of a thin custard. Remove from the fire, strain through a fine sieve and stir until cool. Add the strained juice of half the lemon. Freeze in the ice-tray of the refrigerator, turned to its maximum freezing temperature, for 2 to 3 hours. Have the tray covered with foil, and turn the cream sides to middle once or twice during freezing. For four.
GLACE MOKA
COFFEE ICE CREAM
A luxury ice cream, with a mild but true coffee flavour and a very fine texture.
First put lb. of freshly roasted coffee beans in a marble mortar. Do not crush them but simply bruise them with the pestle, so that the beans are cracked rather than broken up. Put them in a saucepan with a pint of single cream, the yolks of 3 eggs well beaten, a strip of lemon peel and 3 oz. of pale brown sugar (cassonade). Cook this mixture over very gentle heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Take from the fire and go on stirring until it is cool. Strain through a fine sieve. When this cream is quite cold and thick, into it fold pint of double cream lightly whipped with a tablespoon of white sugar. Turn into a pint-sized freezing tray, cover with foil, and place in the ice-making compartment of the refrigerator, which should already be turned to maximum freezing point. Freeze for 3 hours; after the first hour stir the ice cream, turning sides to middle. Turn out whole on to a flat dish and cut into four portions.
The coffee beans can be used again for a second batch of ice cream; and a less expensive basic mixture using a pint of milk and 5 egg yolks still makes a very excellent ice. Always use a light roast of coffee.
GLACE À L’ABRICOT
APRICOT ICE
Make a custard with pint of thin cream or, for the sake of economy, milk, 2 oz. of sugar, a piece of lemon peel or a vanilla pod, and the yolks of 2 eggs.
Cook 1 lb. of fresh apricots with 2 oz. of sugar and pint of water until they are soft. Stone and sieve them.
Mix the apricot pulp with the cooled custard, from which you have extracted the lemon peel or vanilla pod. Squeeze in a little lemon juice and, immediately before freezing, fold in pint of lightly whipped thick cream. Freeze in the ice-trays of the refrigerator, at maximum freezing point, for about 2 hours, stirring once or twice during the process. Keep the trays covered with foil. Makes 6 to 8 helpings.
The sweetness or otherwise of apricots varies a good deal. Some may need more sugar, others less.
GLACE À LA FRAMBOISE
RASPBERRY ICE CREAM
Sieve lb. of fresh raspberries. Make a custard with just under pint of milk or, preferably, thin cream, the yolks of 3 eggs, and 3 to 4 oz. of sugar, depending upon the sweetness or otherwise of the fruit. Early in the season, raspberries tend to need extra sweetening. When this is quite cold, mix it with the raspberry pulp. Fold in pint of thick, lightly whipped