Peach Rosé Sorbet

September 7, 2016 Plate Fete

Summer is fading fast. Truth be told, in many ways, it is already behind us, and though I will fiercely miss its warm breezes and long evenings, I cannot help daydreaming of pumpkins and cozy bonfires. Though the autumn is full of its own glorious, cinnamon-scented charms, I want to cherish these last, warm summer moments and drink them in, literally and metaphorically.

O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been

Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth,

Tasting of Flora and the country green,

Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth!

O for a beaker full of the warm South,

Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene,

With beaded bubbles winking at the brim,

And purple-stained mouth

- Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats

Last summer, my fiancé and I drove a couple hours so that we could spend an entire Saturday browsing through old bookstores with quirky proprietors, and stopping for refreshments every half hour.

We happened upon a small gelato shop serving a peach bellini gelato that was beyond heavenly. It was a sweet, southern afternoon captured in frozen cream. That gelato, it's majesty still imprinted upon my mind, was the inspiration for this sorbet.

Before the comments come rushing in, I do not claim to be a wine connoisseur, and I am sure that a sommelier would turn his or her nose up to this ten dollar bottle of rosé that I picked solely based upon the packaging. Though I plan on giving the world of fermented beverages further study at some point in the future, for now, the ten dollar stuff suits me just fine, especially since I was not planning on drinking it.

This rosé is combined with granulated sugar, and reduced into a light syrup that brings the flavors of the warm south to our sorbet.

Let's take a moment to talk about sorbet...

Surprisingly, this three-ingredient treat is not as simple as I had originally thought. I did a heavy load of research while testing this recipe and learned that the sorbet craft is a finicky one - one that requires a rather stringent ratio.

Sugar is very important to sorbet making, as it will effect the texture just as much as it will the flavor. Sugar lowers the freezing point of water, meaning that, in the proper amount, it will keep our sorbet scoopable. Of course, too much sugar could prevent the sorbet from freezing altogether, so it's important to keep the total sugar content (yes, including that of the fruit) of your sorbet around twenty to thirty percent.

With rosé at the party, we must be even more careful, as alcohol further reduces the freezing point of water. We have to tread carefully in order to keep our sorbet from being nothing but very cold soup.

Fortunately, I did all of the research, failing, and panicking for you so all you have to do is follow the recipe. If you would like to read more about the science of a perfectly executed sorbet, this article explains it very well.

Now that all the technicalities are behind us, let's talk about how wonderfully the flavor of sun-ripened peaches pairs with the soft, effervesce of a blushing rosé. It is pure heaven.

Today, let us preserve the fading call of summer and savor a few last tastes of the season.

This. This is my very own beaker of the warm south.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

Peach Rosé Sorbet

serves 6

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 cup Rosé (look for something in the 12% alcohol content range)

- 2 1/2 cups sliced peaches,* skins removed

*You may use fresh or frozen peaches for this application. However, if you do opt for frozen peaches, make sure they are fully defrosted before using them in the recipe.

Combine sugar and rosé in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and then bring to a simmer. Simmer for five minutes, and then remove from heat.

Place the peaches in your blender and cover with the rosé syrup. Blend on high speed until the mixture is smooth.

Allow to chill in the refrigerator or in an ice bath until the mixture is very cool. Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.* Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and allow it to set up in the freezer for 2-4 hours.

*Depending on your ice cream maker, the sorbet may not completely freeze in the machine. Some ice cream makers do not get cold enough to really freeze the mixture, but do not worry, it will set up in the freezer.

Quick Peach Frozen Yogurt

August 24, 2016 Plate Fete

When was the last time you had frozen yogurt that actually tasted like, you know, yogurt?

Quick Peach Frozen Yogurt {Pedantic Foodie}

For me, it had been a while.

I have a tendency to fill my styrofoam cups with the frozen yogurt whose character has been entirely masked by flavors that have more of a five-year-old appeal, such as cake batter. I also have a tendency to then cover my adulterated yogurt in at least twice as many rainbow sprinkles as would be reasonable. Oops...they spilled?

While cake batter has its place, on hot summer afternoons a tangy, barely sweetened fro-yo cannot be beat.

This frozen yogurt is so straightforward that you really have no excuse not to treat yourself. It all comes together in a matter of minutes with the help of your food processor.

I blanched and sliced 10-12 peaches a couple weeks ago and tucked them away in the freezer for just such an occasion. Using fruit that I froze myself always feels so satisfying.

The peaches are followed by thick, greek yogurt, and several spoonfuls of honey.

In a couple of minutes we have frozen yogurt.

Why, why, WHY, have I not been doing this my whole life?!

I take no credit for this genius, it is purely a copycat move. I saw Joy the Baker make a lemon-strawberry rendition several weeks ago on SnapChat and decided that it would be the perfect use for my frozen peach slices.

The tanginess of the yogurt is so refreshing alongside the sweet peaches.

While you could certainly freeze this yogurt for future enjoyment, it will become rock solid very quickly. Because it has not been churned at all and has very little air, it loses it's soft texture and becomes icy in the freezer. This fro-yo is best when enjoyed in its soft-serve state. That's no problem in my world because I happen to be a big fan of instant gratification.

If you would like a serving for one, feel free to half or quarter the recipe.

So now we know how to make instant fro-yo... You may decide whether that is a blessing or a curse.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

Quick Peach Frozen Yogurt

serves 4

- 4 medium, ripe peaches - peeled, sliced, and frozen (about 4 cups)

- 1 cup unsweetened greek yogurt

- 1/4 cup honey*

Place frozen peaches, yogurt, and honey in the work bowl of your food processor. Pulse until smooth. Serve immediately.

Yes, it’s really that simple.

*You can adjust the amount of honey based on your taste. 1/4 cup left it on the tangy side.

4 Years + The Lazy Lady's Summer Dessert

June 20, 2016 Plate Fete

Four years ago I was listening to "Everybody Talks" on repeat all day, every day.

Four years ago I was deep in a 1950's fashion phase. Big bows and lots of red lipstick.

Four years ago I spent a whole lot of time in the doctor's office.

The Lazy Lady's Summer Dessert {Pedantic Foodie}

Four years ago I had no notion of how to use a camera.

Four years ago I would have thought this dessert was wayyyy too simple.

Four years ago I had no interest whatsoever in the man that I am about to marry.

Four years ago this blog was just beginning in a very inconsistent, Tumblr-like fashion.

So much changes in a year, nonetheless four years. I much prefer the person I am today over the lady I was when I first dipped my toes into the internet. There is still so much I do not know, and I am even more aware of that fact today than I was several years ago. But, growth is always happening and it's a joy to learn, and grow, and change. I have learned to be more thankful, more content, and more concerned about meaningful evolution, rather than absolute perfection.

To celebrate the past few years and the official beginning of Summer, I made us dessert. The most wonderfully simple, summertime dessert.

This dessert is your new best friend. Give it a hug and say hello, because you're going to love this.

It's incredibly easy and quick to make. It’s customizable, gluten-free, and can even be vegan (for those of us who have those weird anti-butter friends)! It is healthy-ish and guaranteed to please kids and adults alike, unless your friends are really weird and do not like fruit, cream, or delicious crunchy toppings.

I really want you to make this dessert because I think it will make you happy. It’s like a pie, but for cheaters who just want a nice treat after Monday night dinner.

I was running into Trader Joe’s “really quick” the other day, when I noticed that they had just restocked their produce section. Every angle of my view was billowing with fresh fruits and vegetables at the peak of ripeness, but my gaze fell upon the golden side of the botanical spectrum.

While nectarines and apricots were not on my list, once I gently felt their tender flesh which signaled utter perfection, I could not leave them in their wooden crates - they needed to come home with me. I was not in the mood for pie-making or crumble-baking that day, I wanted to create the Summer dessert that we all want to eat and actually feel like making after a long, humid day.

I snatched up a can of coconut cream, because whatever I ended up making would be instantly improved by coconut cream, and walked out of the store with high hopes and more groceries than I had anticipated.

This dessert does not require any preheating of the oven, a welcome treat for those of us with small kitchens that turn into saunas come summertime. This crisp-like topping is full of the familiar flavors we love, and it all comes together on the stovetop.

Oats, shredded coconut, and sliced almonds - though you could really use any nuts that you like - are toasted.

Then, melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon are added, creating a salty-sweet, crunchy topping for our fruit.

This topping is also a great thing to keep on hand for last minute desserts, or for jazzing up your morning yogurt.

Now you must make the decision of whether or not you would like to make this dessert vegan.

If so, just top your warm fruit with a spoonful of coconut cream that you have sweetened with a little bit of honey.

I chose to go half and half and used a combination of heavy cream and coconut cream. Coconut cream is a bit rich for me on its own.

Four years and counting of recipes, ramblings, picture-editing, learning, eating, and utter delight! Thank you so much for spending them with me.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

The Lazy Lady’s Summer Dessert

serves 6 (but you can half, or double, or multiply the heck out of this recipe)

for the topping

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

- 3 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1/4 cup finely shredded, sweetened coconut

- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats

- 1/4 cup sliced almonds

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Use a fork to combine ground cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar in a small bowl.

Combine coconut, oats, and almonds in a nonstick frying pan and place over medium heat. Toast, stirring often, until the coconut and almonds are fragrant and deep golden in color. Add the butter to the pan.

Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat, and add the brown sugar mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined and evenly coated.

Spread the crumble topping out onto a piece of parchment paper and allow to cool while you prepare the other components.

for the fruit*

- 3 ripe nectarines, halved and pitted

- 6 ripe apricots, halved and pitted

- 3 tablespoons coconut oil

Set your grill to medium high heat.

Use a paper towel to coat the grates of the grill with coconut oil. (You will want to make sure that your grill is nice and clean for this!)

Place the halves of the fruits cut-side down on the grill and cook, covered, for about three minutes. The fruit should be just slightly softened.

Allow the fruit to cool for several minutes while you prepare the cream.

*While I used nectarines and apricots, you could really use any semi-firm fruit here. Peaches, pineapple, or pears would all be great options!

for the cream & assembly

- 1/2 cup heavy cream