Wednesday 15 July 2015

Spiced Blackberry Lassi Sherbet

In last week's post, Meg had asked if I ever tried freezing lassi. I now can say I have! The sherbet worked out well, boasting a plush texture and a pleasingly invigorating flavour. All this deliciousness was accomplished without an ice cream maker.

Not cooking the berries boosts the fresh taste

How to prevent the formation of ice crystals in general when making this creamy kind of sweet without an ice cream maker? Add ingredients that don't freeze: sugar; alcohol; fat like egg yolks/whole milk/cream; air which can be incorporated into cream by whipping it as I did for red currant ice cream. Additionally, break up the ice crystals every thirty minutes or so as the mixture freezes.

The last of the harvest from our potager!

Ingredients
makes two servings but can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled...
  • Sugar, granulated, 4 T
  • Blackberries, fresh, 237 ml/8 fluid oz
  • Yogurt, whole milk, 237 ml/8 fluid oz
  • Vanilla extract, pure/high quality, (the only 'alcohol' chez nous at that time), 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon, powered, 1/4 tsp
  • Cloves, powdered, 1/8 tsp
  • Nutmeg, freshly grated, 1/8 tsp
  • Ginger, powdered, 1/4 tsp or minced candied or fresh ginger 1/2 tsp
  • Garnishes: fresh blackberries, whipped cream & cookies (I used digestive biscuits)
The night before put the yogurt in a strainerif not stainless steel, then line it with cheese cloth or an old worn dish toweland place over a bowl. Cover and let drip overnight in the fridge. Put the storage container you will use for the ice cream in the freezer.


Nearly a cup of liquid was collected which is a cup less water that could have crystallised.


Wash the berries. Mash them with a potato masher or a handheld mixer. Push the pulpy liquid through a fine sieve which will take a few minutes. Don't forget to scrape off with a clean spoon every bit of juice from the underside of the sieve.


Mix well together the strained yogurt and berry juice along with the sugar, vanilla extract, and spices. Put in an ice bath or in the fridge till cold, about an hour.


Pour into the cold storage container and put in freezer. Every thirty minutes, break up the ice cream with a rubber spatula or a handheld mixer. Depending on your freezer, it takes around three hours. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

Start first at the edges and then as it freezes, just mush the whole mass

What to do with that attractively jagged piece of cookie perched ever so rakishly? Crumble it, baby!


It was then easy to get a bit of crunch in every spoonful.


À la prochaine!