Plum Sorbet Or Granita Recipes

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar, allspice and cinnamon in heavy small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Cool syrup completely.
• Puree 1 1/2 pounds plums in processor. Press enough puree through sieve to measure 1 1/2 cups. Strain syrup into puree and blend well. Transfer mixture to 9x5x3-inch glass loaf dish. Freeze plum mixture until flaky crystals form, stirring every 30 minutes, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
• Spoon granita into 4 glass goblets. Top with peach, nectarine and plum slices and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Fill a wide flat pan or bowl with ice water, and add the gelatin sheets one at a time. Allow them to sit for about 5 minutes; they should be very flexible but remain intact. Meanwhile, pour the Aperol into a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.
• Lift gelatin sheets from the water, allowing excess water to drain off. Transfer sheets to the hot Aperol, and stir until they dissolve completely. Stir in the citrus juices, and pour into a metal 9-by-12-inch pan, or other wide metal pan that will fit into a freezer.
• Place pan in freezer until mixture is completely solid, about 4 hours. To serve, scrape the surface with a fork so the mixture breaks into large flakes. Scoop mounds of the granita into small chilled dishes, and serve at once.

Steps:

• Place all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
• If you are making granita, place a 9-by-11-inch baking dish in the freezer. Omit the corn syrup and reduce the sugar if desired.
• Place a container in the freezer. Using an immersion blender, blend the watermelon mixture for 30 seconds. If making sorbet, freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's directions. If making granita, scrape into the chilled baking dish and place back in the freezer. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the ice crystals from the outside of the baking dish toward the center. Return to the freezer and set the timer for another 30 minutes. Continue to scrape the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes until you have a uniform frozen mixture. It should not be frozen solid. If you forget to scrape and the mixture does freeze like an ice cube, cut into chunks and use a food processor fitted with the steel blade to break it up. Transfer to a container and freeze. Allow to soften for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

Steps:

• Halve and pit plums and in a large saucepan cook with remaining ingredients over moderate heat, stirring, until plums release their liquid and mixture comes to a simmer. Simmer mixture, stirring, 5 minutes and cool slightly.
• In a blender purée mixture in 2 batches and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Chill mixture, covered, until cold, about 2 hours. Freeze mixture in an ice-cream maker. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden. Sorbet keeps, covered and frozen, 1 week.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add plums; cover and boil for 30-45 seconds. Drain and immediately place plums in ice water. Drain and pat dry. When cool enough to handle, remove skins. Cut in half; remove pits., In a small saucepan, bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon juice and zest; set aside to cool., Place the plums in a food processor; add sugar syrup. Cover and process until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Transfer puree to an 8-in.- square dish. Freeze until edges begin to firm, about 1 hour; stir. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours longer., Just before serving, transfer to a food processor; cover and process until smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Steps:

• Wash the plums, cut them in half and remove the pits. Cut the plums in quarters and cook them over low to medium heat with the orange juice for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Puree the plums in a blender or food processor and chill.
• Meanwhile, bring the sugar and water to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Add the syrup to the puree, along with about one tablespoon kirsch, and mix well. Cool and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions for your ice cream maker.