One of my very, very favorite wedding gifts came from my friend Jen Fry. Knowing that I am a sucker for frozen treats and for my Kitchenaid mixer, she gave us a gift that combined these two loves in one amazing package: the ice cream maker attachment for my mixer, along with a copy of The Perfect Scoop, a cookbook of ice cream and sorbet recipes from sweet-treat genius David Lebovitz.
As soon as I was able to carve a space in the freezer large enough for the ice cream maker, I’ve been on a kick. First, it was Lebovitz’s Orange Rice Pudding Gelato, then his Blueberry Banana Sorbet. Tonight I’m thinking of tackling his Lemon-Buttermilk Sherbet.
As a side note, the sherbet seems like a nice treat for my JiT who is working all weekend. I made my first trip to the farmer’s market today and I’ve planned a menu of baby green salad with lemon vinaigrette, and two kinds of homemade pizza: asparagus, morel mushroom and carmelized onion; and spinach with crimini mushrooms and fresh pesto. The lemon-buttermilk sherbet, served with store-bought caramel sauce, will hopefully be a sweet but slightly refreshing end to his long Saturday at the office.
But I’ve digressed. Back to the dessert at hand, which is the only one so far that I’ve invented all on my own. And boy am I proud of it! Sweet, smooth, refreshing and slightly tropical, my banana, coconut and saffron sorbet was so simple to make, I’m sort of shocked it actually turned out so well! I literally dumped the bananas in a bowl with a can of coconut milk, some sugar and a pinch of saffron threads and fired up the immersion blender. Toss the mixture in your ice cream maker and 20 minutes later you’re in heaven. I could almost feel the island breezes and hear the steel drums of our honeymoon as I licked the creamy ‘nana coconut goodness from my spoon.
One thing to keep in mind….consider the saffron optional. I happened to have it on-hand and tossed it in. But I suspect the banana coconut mixture would be quite delicious on its own, and since saffron is quite expensive, I don’t want you to miss out on this experience just because of that one ingredient. Especially considering that the remaining ingredients are rather budget-friendly.
Coconut, Banana and Saffron Sorbet
Makes about 4 cups
2 ripe medium bananas, peeled
1 can of unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch saffron threads (5 or 6 threads)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend with a “stick” blender until the mixture is smooth, or use a regular blender to do the same thing. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturers instructions. Serve immediately or freeze for later. If freezing for later use, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften before serving. The taste and texture are best when slightly softened. Enjoy!
YUM- leave it to you to make 4 ingredients Fiji-chic!
YUM- leave it to you to make 4 ingredients Fiji-chic!
YUM- leave it to you to make 4 ingredients Fiji-chic!
This sounds wonderful. I am coveting the kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment.
This sounds wonderful. I am coveting the kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment.
This sounds wonderful. I am coveting the kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment.
Oh wow – that looks delicious!
Oh wow – that looks delicious!
Oh wow – that looks delicious!