Apple Cider Sorbet Take 1

Keeping with the fall theme from my last post, I chose to make my first sorbet, Apple Cider.  While this doesn't seem like a scary idea, I was rather skeptical as to how it would turn out. Thinking back, I had never seen apple sorbet on a menu and given the choice I'll usually go for ice cream over a sorbet any day of the week. Confounding my skepticism is the fact that I was using sorbet and sherbert interchangeably in my searches. I had forgotten that while similar, they are much different; sherbert contains dairy while sorbet does not. A good explanation of the differences can be found on eNotes. Once I got the differences between the two straightened out, I honed in on my search; trying to find something that could be prepared while I was cooking dinner.

Ingredients

Nutritional Info
Serving Size 1/2 cup Servings 10
Calories 100
Fat 0g
Sat Fat 0g
Carbs 25g
Sugar 25g

• 6 cups apple cider
• a 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup sugar

Modified from Epicurious 

Equipment

• 3qt pot
• Fine mesh sieve or strainer
• Whisk
• Measuring cup

Optional

• Large and medium bowl for ice bath

Instructions
In a large saucepan combine the cider, the cinnamon stick, the sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil for 10+ minutes. Reduce to 4 cups. Note, the cider will start to bubble and foam a bit, so adjust heat accordingly.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. This is an important step, that I learned first hand while making bourbon ice cream over the summer. While making the custard base, had walked away from the stove and the milk curdled a bit. At the time, I didn't have a strainer and poured the mixture into the ice cream machine unfiltered.  A few days later some friends were trying the ice cream and all asked, "what are the little frozen bits in the ice cream?!" Usually chunks are a good thing in ice cream (eg. cookie dough), but not chunks of cinnamon bark or curdled milk.

I put the bowl in an ice bath so that I could make the sorbet the same night.  After about 2 hours in the bath, the mixture was cold enough to be turned into sorbet. I left the sorbet mixture in the ice cream machine for about 25 minutes before transferring to containers.

Conclusions
To be honest, I was in such a rush to find a recipe and get the sorbet made that I settled on one that didn't require a lot of time or ingredients and I think the results showed. While I was happy with the result, I think there is plenty of room for improvement and will be making a second batch this weekend for comparison. Looking back on it now, I failed to consult my trustee Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book which tends to include corn syrup in each recipe. This I imagine will give the sorbet a smoother texture and make it easier to scoop. Apple Cider Sorbet Take Two coming up this week.

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Inspiration from Keuka Lake

I've always thought it was rather strange that cinnamon came from the bark of a plant.  Who came across what scientists call Cinnamomum Verum and said, "man, I bet if you pull the bark off of that tree, dry it, and grind it into a fine powder, it would really kick this dish up a notch!"? Whomever did it, hats off to you. Not only did you find one of the most desired spices during the spice trading days of the 16th and 17th century, you enabled us mere mortals to have luxuries such as cinnamon buns, apple pie, and cinnamon ice cream!

My inspiration for cinnamon ice cream came from Seneca Farms in Penn Yan, NY, just a short 20 minute drive from my Alma mater Hobart College. This unassuming restaurant is just a few blocks off of Keuka Lake and is known for its fried chicken, home made fritters, impressive Coca-Cola bottle collection, and incredible selection of frozen custard. Each fall they make a pumpkin and cinnamon frozen custard swirl that was so big, it would take the entire 20 minute drive back just to eat it all.  While the ability of the, lets call them a custard barista, was impressive enough, the contrasting textures between the soft, smooth cinnamon and the firmer, rich taste of the pumpkin made this a cone worth savoring.

The first batch of cinnamon ice cream was made just a few weeks ago along with pumpkin in an effort to save myself a five and a half hour drive to the Finger Lakes for a cone. I dug around quite a bit online in a search of a recipe that I thought would match the taste and texture of the ice cream that I remembered so well.  After some digging, I went with a recipe that kept the ingredient list simple and was similar to those found in the Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book.

INGREDIENTS

Large container of cinnamon from Costco ~$6

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup half n' half
• 1/4 cup (or a long splash) 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and heavy cream. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in the half n' half and milk. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. 
2. Pour mixture into bowl that has been placed in an ice bath. Once the mixture has stopped steaming, place in fridge for 2 hours.
3. Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  

Modified from AllRecipies.com

Two small scoops of cinnamon

After a few hours in the freezer and a couple of 'quality assurance' taste tests along the way, the ice cream firmed up and had a perfect frozen custard consistency. This means that it was easy to scoop with a tablespoon and like meringue, could be roughly formed into peaks (melting ones that is). Even after a night in the freezer, it did not become overly hard like store-bought varieties tend to do. As for the taste, it was not overpowering but just right, like a homemade snickerdoodle cookie.

Monday morning, I found myself reaching into the freezer for a quick spoonful before heading into work; an amuse-bouche for the day if you will. I think every day needs to start out that way...

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Welcome!

Welcome to The Prodigious Pint!  I guess this is a good place to say a bunch of cliche things about the goals of the blog, how it will be the most fantastic thing ever, change the world of ice cream, etc.  Alright, well good thing that is out of the way!

I've created this blog to share my ice cream making experiences and favorite recipes.  About six months ago, I received an ice cream machine for my birthday and have been making ice cream, pint by pint, quart by quart ever since.  Recipes have been everything from basic chocolate to a Guinness Draught Chocolate Chip.  I even went so far as to take what some called a sacrilegious step, by making a Guinness Ice Cream Beer Float- it was delicious!  Unfortunately, not all flavors turn out to be the best ever, eg Blueberry Muffin, but by and large they turn out decently.  I hope to share insights into different techniques, ingredients, and flavor combinations as I learn.

Over the next year, it is my goal to try out a new flavor each week.  While I would love to eat all of the ice cream, I'd rather not end up looking like Boba Fett correction Jabba the Hutt.  To assist me along the way will be a trusted team of taste testers at the office who never balk at the words 'free ice cream'.


Finally, two hat tips to be given out.  First one to Deana who gave me the machine and a second to Dave who suggested that I blog about my ice cream making- thanks to both of you!