Ger-Nis INTERNATIONAL, LLC

Herbal Ice Creams, Granitas and Sorbets

All over the world one of the greatest pleasures we share is a mutual love for ice cream, granitas and sorbets. We all crave frozen treats as soon as the weather gets warm and even without the warm weather sometimes! Regardless of where we are in the world or what season it is, these frozen delights mesmerize us with the flavors and textures we have all come to recognize as ice cream, sorbets and granitas. Summertime delivers the main ingredients that are unequivocally necessary for these delights: warmth to tantalize our cravings and the summer fruits and herbs that flavor the cravings. The possibilities are endless with these treats and whether the creator wishes to expose the fruit, the herb, the eggs or the cream as front and center, we cannot help but want to taste the various flavors on our tongues and delight in the cool textures and vibrant flavors. Frozen treats are some of the few desserts that are not overpowered by sugar but enriched by the simplicity of the ingredients. This may explain why ice cream, sorbets and granitas have such an artisanal following. We can go on for days arguing about the best recipe for each of these frozen treats, but as always we prefer to promote encouraging people to explore their creativity and experiment the infinite flavor and texture possibilities of these three concoctions. We invite you to try our ideas and experiment with flavors and textures on your own. We also recommend using an ice cream maker for ice creams and sorbets. We found that most of the major cooking magazines have online reviews of ice cream makers on their Web sites that are very thorough and can help you choose one that is best for you for the best price.

ICE CREAM
There are basically two styles of ice cream: French style and Philadelphia style. The French style is made with eggs and tends to be, as we say, richer and silkier. The Philadelphia style is made with just cream and tends to be creamier and usually focuses more on the other ingredients. Either style of ice cream is delicious, and the success of the flavor really depends on your ingredients. If you are using strong ingredients or powerful, perfumy ingredients, we tend to lean towards the Philadelphia style, while we recommend the French style for more subtle flavors focusing on the texture of the ice cream. Below, we have included a few ideas for each style using our favorite seasonal summer herbs and fruits.

FRENCH STYLE
Fresh Strawberry Mint Ice Cream
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
10 egg yolks
1 cup sugar plus ¼ cup sugar
1/4 cup water
8 cups strawberries (with tops removed)
1 cup chopped mint plus ½ cup mint
strawberries and mint for garnish

Make simple syrup by placing ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in heavy sauce pan with 1 cup chopped mint. Bring to boil until sugar is totally dissolved. Let steep on simmer for five minutes, then strain and set syrup aside. Combine milk and cream in a heavy saucepan. Bring to just about boil but do not let it boil. Remove from heat and set aside for about an hour. Bring milk mixture back to simmer. Whisk egg yolks and ½ cup sugar in a mixing bowl and then mix eggs into saucepan. A double boiler helps to ensure that the milk product does not boil. Stir over medium low heat until the mixture thickens into a custard. Usually about 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until very cold. In the meantime, mix strawberries and mint simple syrup in a food processor until smooth. Mix pureed strawberries in with the custard mix, add chopped fresh mint if desired and use ice cream maker according to instructions.

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
10 egg yolks
1 cup sugar plus ¼ cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup chopped lemon verbena plus ½ cup

Make simple syrup by placing ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in heavy saucepan with 1 cup chopped verbena. Bring to boil until sugar is totally dissolved. Let steep on simmer for five minutes, strain and set syrup aside. Combine milk and cream in a heavy saucepan bring to just about boil but do not let it boil. Remove from heat and set aside for about an hour. Bring milk mixture back to simmer. Whisk egg yolks and ½ cup sugar in a mixing bowl and them mix eggs into saucepan. A double boiler helps to ensure that the milk product does not boil. Stir over medium low heat until the mixture thickens into a custard. Usually about 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until very cold. Mix pureed lemon verbena syrup in with the custard mix, add chopped verbena if desired and use ice cream maker according to instructions.

Red Basil Ice Cream
Follow recipe as above but substitute red basil for lemon verbena.

Bay Laurel Ice Cream
Follow recipe as above but substitute red basil for lemon verbena.

PHILADELPHIA STYLE
Blueberry Lemon Thyme Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh blueberries lightly mashed
1 cup lemonade
juice of 1 lemon
½ cup chopped fresh lemon thyme plus 2 T chopped fresh lemon thyme

In a saucepan place ½ cup fresh lemon thyme, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil until the sugar is all dissolved. Let simmer for 5 more minutes to steep, take off heat, set aside for 5 more minutes. Strain lemon thyme and set simple syrup aside. In another heavy saucepan on medium heat, heat the cream until just about to boil but do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and add the sugar. Mix the simple syrup and blueberry mash in with the cream until well mixed. Set aside in refrigerator for about an hour. Add remainder of chopped fresh lemon thyme and follow ice cream maker instructions.

Cherry Chive Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh cherries lightly mashed
1 cup water
2 T chopped fresh chives

In a saucepan place 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil until the sugar is all dissolved. Let simmer for 5 more minutes to steep, take off heat and set aside for 5 more minutes and set simple syrup aside. In another heavy saucepan on medium heat, heat the cream until just about to boil but do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and add the sugar. Mix the simple syrup and cherry mash in with the cream until well mixed, set aside in refrigerator for about an hour. Add chopped fresh chives and follow ice cream maker instructions.

Tarragon Peach Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 large ripe peaches pitted and peeled and pureed or mashed
1 cup water or peach nectar
½ cup tarragon plus 2 T chopped fresh tarragon

In a saucepan, place ½ cup tarragon, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil until the sugar is all dissolved. Let simmer for 5 more minutes to steep, take off heat set aside for 5 more minutes, strain tarragon and set simple syrup aside. In another heavy saucepan on medium heat, heat the cream until just about to boil but do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and add the sugar. Mix the simple syrup and peach puree in with the cream until well mixed, set aside in refrigerator for about an hour. Add remainder of chopped tarragon and follow ice cream maker instructions.

SORBET
Sorbet is quite simply the easiest frozen desert because it is just a mixture of frozen fruit and sugar syrup. The key to an excellent sorbet is to use the freshest ingredients at the peak of their flavor. The sorbet should taste like a frozen version of the ingredients; it should be cool to the pallet yet taste like fresh fruit and herbs.

Raspberry Mint Sorbet
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
½ cup chopped mint
2 cups raspberries
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Make a simple syrup in a medium saucepan by combining the sugar and water and chopped mint. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, simmer for 5 minutes, take off burner, add lemon zest and lemon juice, cool, strain, and set syrup aside. In a food processor, blend up the raspberries until a puree forms. The raspberries at this point can be strained for a finer, smoother sorbet. However, we prefer it a bit earthier and recommend keeping the seeds. Mix simple syrup and pureed raspberries and follow ice cream maker instructions for making sorbet.

White Nectarine Parley Sorbet
6 white nectarines, pitted and peeled
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup chopped flat parsley
¼ cup of flat parsley leaves in tact

Make a simple syrup in a medium saucepan by combining the sugar and water and chopped parsley. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, simmer for 5 minutes, take off burner, cool, strain, and set syrup aside. In a food processor, blend up nectarines until a puree forms. Mix simple syrup and pureed nectarines and then add flat parsley leaves and follow ice cream maker instructions for making sorbet.

Apricot Rosemary
12 apricots, pitted and peeled
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup chopped rosemary

Make a simple syrup in a medium saucepan by combining the sugar and water and chopped rosemary. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, simmer for 5 minutes, take off burner, cool, strain, and set syrup aside. In a food processor, blend up apricots until a puree forms. Mix simple syrup and pureed apricots and then and follow ice cream maker instructions for making sorbet.

GRANITA
Granita is pretty much a semi-frozen or frozen concoction made from the whole fruit or the essence of a plant with very little liquid. The desired consistency varies but is generally chunky and granular. Granitas are an incredible way to enjoy summer fruits at their peak while allowing one to keep cool. The granita is the preferred frozen dessert for those who are working without an ice-cream maker. It is an easy to make dessert that is great for beginners or children or if you just want something fast and superb.

Cantaloupe Basil Mint Granita
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
¼ cup mint
¼ cup basil plus 2 T each of basil and mint chopped fine
3 cups cantaloupe
juce and peel of 2 limes

Watermelon Red Basil Granita
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ cup red basil
3 cups watermelon

Make a simple syrup in a medium saucepan by combining the sugar, water and chopped fresh herbs. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, simmer for 5 minutes, take off burner, cool, strain, and set syrup aside. In a food processor, blend cantaloupe and add simple syrup until a puree forms. Add remaining chopped mint and basil. Pour into a low dish and freeze. Using a fork, scrape puree every 20 minutes while it freezes. This should create flaky crystals. Keep frozen dish covered while freezing. Freeze and scrap until desired consistency.

Lemon Basil Granita
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup lemon basil
3 cups watermelon

Make a simple syrup in a medium saucepan by combining the sugar, water and chopped lemon basil. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, simmer for 5 minutes, take off burner, cool, strain, and set syrup aside. In a food processor, blend watermelon and add simple syrup until a puree forms. Pour into a low dish and freeze. Using a fork, scrape puree every 20 minutes while it freezes. This should create flaky crystals. Keep frozen dish covered while freezing. Freeze and scrap until desired consistency.