4 - 5 servings
I am completely biased towards our delicious local June strawberries with their amazing luscious, juicy, sweet taste. The are best eaten fresh or try to purre and freeze them to make sorbet. They are great if the puree is stored in containers and frozen for winter use as sauce for ice cream or any other dessert. The cookies called Paris Wafers are great for summer as they are very light and flaky.
Strawberry Sorbet:
- 3 cups (750 ml) fresh strawberries
- Garnish: 4 – 6 strawberries and 4 – 6 fresh mint leaves if available
- 2 – 4 tbsp (25 – 40 ml) sugar or as needed
- Pinch salt
- ½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling or water
- 1/2 – 1 tsp (2 – 5 ml) fresh lemon juice or to taste
- Lightly spray berries with lukewarm water to remove dust. Twist off the stems from the strawberries. Place berries in food processor and blend until smooth.
- In bowl, combine berries, sugar, salt and wine or water and stir in lemon to taste.
- Place sorbet in 2 L metal bake pan or glass bowl and freeze 2 – 4 hours. Break up sorbet and puree again in food processor. If desired, repeat this process again. Each time the mixture becomes smoother cutting up any ice crystals.
- Remove sorbet from freezer 10 – 18 minutes and allow to slightly soften before scooping out balls of sorbet to serve immediately or ahead of time, place them on a tray and re-freeze
Chocolate Sauce
Makes 1¼ cups (300 ml)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 ml) cocoa
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup (50 ml) boiling water
- 2 tbsp (25 ml) golden syrup
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
In saucepan, mix together sugar, cocoa and salt. Whisk in water and syrup. Cook gently 8 – 10 minutes, stirring several times so bottom of pan does not burn. Remove from heat and add butter. Cool 5 minutes before adding vanilla.
Paris Wafers
Makes 2 dozen
These flaky, fragile wafers take time to make but are worth every minute of your time. They can be served at any time with the sorbet, coffee, iced tea or wine.
- 2 tsp (10 mL) melted butter for brushing
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) cold butter
- 1 cup (250 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus little flour for rolling
- 1 tablespoons (15 ml) 35% heavy cream or milk
- 1/4 cup (50 ml) granulated sugar for dipping
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly brush melted butter on bake sheet.
- There are two methods, either grated the butter into the flour and use fork to mix butter through the flour; mix in cream or milk just until dough forms. Or use food processor to pulse butter and flour until mixture is like crumbs, add flour and cream, pulse briefly just until dough forms. Knead gently to form a dough ball. Chill 30 minutes.
- Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to l/4-inch (1 cm) thickness. Cut out 1 -inch (2.5 cm) circles.
- To shape circle, lightly sprinkle sugar on work surface and sprinkle circle lightly with sugar. Roll into a 3-inch (7.5 cm) oval in length. Place cookies on bake pan. Prick once with fork. Chill 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Bake 4 – 5 minutes or until golden around edges. Cool on rack. Store in closed container
To Serve:
Place one or two sorbet balls in serving dish. Dribble a little chocolate sauce over the top and top each with a fresh strawberry. Serve the rest of the chocolate sauce in separately if desired. Serve wafers on a separate plate.
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