Ice cream for Saturday

The coming Saturday will be my birthday dinner. Last year, I had a party with friends and family at home, it was great fun with great food from me and Em. This year I rather have a Nancy boy dinner, essential guests only. I have booked Thursday and Friday off to prepare the dinner, even tho I'm off today too, because I'm ill. It is crap to be ill at anytime, but ill just before my holiday and birthday, it is very not fair.

Anyway, for the dinner, we are going to have sorbet between starter and main course, and ice cream to serve with passion tart as desserts. Instead of posting all the recipe in one lot, since I have made the ice cream, why not spreading the words now. Both recipes are adopted from Internets (somewhere) I could not remember. However, I have put my own twist in it, so let's see what you all think about it.

Pear Sorbet

Ingredient:
900g Ripe pears, cored, diced (preferably Comice or Willliams)
6 tbsp Lemon juice
9 tbsp Caster sugar
2 egg whites

Method:
1. Put all ingredients except egg whites into a sauce pan, stir and bring it to boil. Stir from time to time to avoid catching at the base. Then simmer until pears are soft and liquid is thicken. It takes about 30 - 45 mins. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

2. Blend the mix to smooth, like a pear puree. Then Freeze the mix in a shallow container for an hour. Scrap the slush around the edge and mix them back in the pear mix. Repeat this steps for another 2 times.** Now you should have a smooth slush pear mix, and it is ready to mix with egg white. For the egg whites, beat them until stiff peak then fold into the pear mix. Pour into a tub and freeze at least 4 hours. Take it out in room temperature 20 mins before serve.

**If you are using ice cream machine, chill the pear puree and then churn them in the machine to slush and follow the rest of the recipe.**

Cardamom White Chocolate and Mascarpone Ice Cream

Ingredients:
8 Cardamoms, crushed with pestle and mortar
350ml Full fat milk (preferably Channel Island milk)
4 Eggs yolks
180g Caster sugar
350g Mascarpone
100g White Chocolate, coarsely grated

Methods:
1. Put the crushed cardamoms and milk in a sauce pan, bring to boiled then simmer for 10mins. Turn of the heat, let it infuse for futher 30mins.
2. At the meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Strain the milk and bring back to just boil, then pour onto the egg and sugar mix.
4. Mix well and then pour the mixture back into the sauce pan. Simmer it on medium-low heat, make sure it doesn't boil. Keep stirring the mix at all time. When it reach a custard texture (it should coat a wooden spoon) or 84 degree C (if you have sugar thermometer), remove from heat and pour into a mix bowl quickly. (if you leave the mix in the pan, they will continue cooking and curdle).
5. Mix the mascarpone into the custard mix. Chill for at least 4 hours.
6. Gfet it out from the fridge, fold the grated white chocolate into it. pour it into a shallow container. Freeze for 1 hour and scrap the frozen bits at the edge, mix them back into the mixture. Repeat this step every hour for 3 times, or alternatively pour the mix into an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer instructions.

I hope you like the recipes, and happy ice cream making.