Coffee Granita

4 cups water

1 cup ground espresso-roast coffee

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1/8 tsp salt

Bring water to a boil and whisk in coffee. Strain the coffee. Stir in the sugar. Cool mixture to room temperature. Pour mixture into a 9×13×2 pan and freeze for 20 minutes. Scrap the mixture with a fork. Continue to scrap every 10-15 minutes until thick and grainy. If thick chunks form you can process in a food processor then place back in the freezer.

Serve in beautiful, chilled dessert or martini classes with a small dollop of cold cream. Perfect for a light summer dessert.

Apple, Ginger, Basil Granita

Grate ginger into sparkling cider using a microplane.

Pulse together sugar and basil in a blender until sugar is bright green and basil is finely ground, then stir into apple juice until sugar is dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8- to 9-inch metal baking pan.

Freeze, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every half hour, until evenly frozen, 3 to 4 hours. Scrape with a fork to lighten texture, crushing any lumps.

Serve in beautiful glasses with thinly sliced granny smith apples.

Chocolate Sorbet

David Lebovitz

2 1/4 cups (555 ml) water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

Watermelon and Lime Bars

adapted from Epicurious.com

Watermelon Sorbet

1 (2 1/2-pounds) piece of watermelon
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon tequila

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp lime zest

Line a 9-inch square baking pan (2 inches deep) with plastic wrap or parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Put lined pan in freezer.

Coarsely chop watermelon flesh (leave seeds in), then purée enough to yield 2 1/2 cups in a blender.

Add sugar, juice, zest, salt and tequila to purée and blend 30 seconds.

Freeze sorbet in ice cream maker. Transfer to lined baking pan, smoothing top. Put in freezer to firm up.

Lime Semifreddo

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together condensed milk, zest, salt and juice. Beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks, then gently fold into condensed-milk mixture.

Spread over sorbet, smoothing top. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.

To serve, lift dessert from pan using plastic wrap. Cut into 12 bars and serve on chilled plates.

Cooks’ note: Dessert can be frozen (covered once completely frozen) up to 3 days. Cut into bars just before serving.

Pistachio Gelato

3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios (about 3 3/4 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 large egg yolks

1/4 tsp salt

Finely grind 3/4 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup sugar and salt in processor. Combine pistachio mixture, milk and almond extract in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Whisk yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens slightly and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 8 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat. Refrigerate custard until cold, about 3 hours.

Fudge Sauce

1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and salt. Whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until cool but still pourable, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Cones

adapted from Frozen Desserts

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter, room temp.

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tbs. all purpose flour

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

Sift powdered sugar into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Very slowly beat until all sugar is incorporated. Turn mixer to medium the beat until lighter in color. Add egg whites one at a time. Beat until smooth after each addition. Add vanilla. Sift together the flour, salt and cornstarch. Add flour mixture to butter mixture until just combined and mixture is smooth.