Pineapple Coconut Sorbet

This post is sponsored through a partnership with Dole Sunshine. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

With summer heat in full swing, I've been looking for ways to cool down that don't involve hiding indoors with the air conditioner. It seems I have spent a great deal of this summer behind a computer screen, spending time researching the many details that come with planning a wedding. 

With less than a month of summer vacation to go, my checklist of summer activities—kayaking the nearby lakes, biking around town, and enjoying free concerts in the park on warm summer nights—have gone unchecked. What summer activities have you checked off your list?  Perhaps I can persuade you to enjoy a little more time in the warm sunshine with this frozen dessert. 

This pineapple coconut sorbet is my favorite frozen dessert so far this year, satisfying my desire for something both fruity and creamy at the same time. 

Sorbet is a great alternative to classic ice cream for several reasons. First, unlike traditional ice cream, the sorbet base does not have to be thickened with egg yolks over the stove. This feature makes the process from idea to final product both simpler and quicker.

Second, sorbet allows real fruit flavors to stand out. For this pineapple coconut sorbet, I wanted the focus to be the tropical sweetness of pineapple so I used Dole 100% Pineapple Juice to keep the flavor bright and pure. Pineapple can also be acidic so the addition of a "creamy" component, like full-fat coconut milk, can mellow the acidity and allow the true flavor to shine through. 

Third, sorbet is vegan, which makes it a wonderful alternative for people who suffer from food intolerances or allergies (like me!). Sorbet is a safe (and delicious) choice to share with family and friends. 

This Pineapple Coconut Sorbet is a sweet treat to help you beat the summer heat. The sorbet only has four ingredients—pineapple juice, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract—which makes it quick and easy to assemble. The creaminess of the coconut balances the acidity of the pineapple, balancing the flavors of the frozen dessert. Serve in a bowl topped with toasted coconut flakes or in a sugar cone.

One Year Ago: Blueberry Basil Galette
Two Years Ago:  Homemade Almond Milk & Blueberry Plum Pie
Three Years Ago: Cherry Hand Pies & Olive Oil Pound Cake
Four Years Ago: Plum Almond Galette, Paris Holiday, & Provence & the French Riviera
Five Years Ago: Nutella Espresso Rolls, Brownie Cookies, & Cookie Dough Cake
Six Years Ago: Banana PB Protein Smoothie, Chocolate Cherry Cake, Coconut Scones, & Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream
Seven Years Ago: Cherry Almond Muffins, Plum Clafouti, S'mores Pie, Grilled Apricots, & Malted Chocolate Cupcakes
Eight Years Ago: Chocolate Prune Cake, Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread, & Whole Wheat Wild Blueberry Muffins

Pineapple Coconut Sorbet

Yields 1 quart

14 ounce can (414 mL) full-fat coconut milk
2 cups (475 mL) Dole 100% Pineapple Juice
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, pineapple juice, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. When uniform and sugar has dissolved, place in the refrigerator and chill 3-4 hours, or until cold.

Freeze mixture in ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 hours before serving. The sorbet will keep well for several weeks in the freezer. Serve with a sprinkling of toasted coconut flakes.

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This post is sponsored through a partnership with Dole Sunshine. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I am incredibly excited to be working with Dole Sunshine because of the excellent quality of their fruit-based products. Thank you for supporting Pastry Affair & my wonderful sponsors!

Raspberry Rhubarb Sorbet

In the heat of the summer afternoon, I can be spotted sitting in a deck chair in the sun, my nose buried in the pages of a good book. For someone who is eternally chilled, the oppressive heat is dreamy; I wish I could bottle up the feeling for another season. By far, this form of relaxation is my favorite summer activity, and I look forward to it greatly each year. This is my spa day, my indulgence, my unique form of pampering.

If only these days could last forever.

When the heat grows suffocating, I reluctantly head back indoors to cool off. Since it is one of the rare times the air conditioner feels welcoming against my skin, it would be a sin to turn on the oven to bake. Ultimately, this reasoning is how this sorbet came about. While rhubarb seems to be a fleeting spring trend in the food world, the Upper Midwest enjoys this vegetable all summer long. As a wonderful contrast against the sweetness of summer fruit, the tart rhubarb complements summer fruits and berries well. 

In this sorbet, rhubarb is paired with raspberry to produce a very brightly colored, flavorful dessert. Feel free to use fresh or frozen fruit—I have done so with both and it has turned out equally well.

The sorbet stays soft due to the use of honey as a sweetener. Honey does not contain enough water to freeze (it is a supersaturated sugar solution) and so it prevents the sorbet from freezing hard like other chilled desserts. While this sorbet is not ideal for ice cream cones, one of the benefits of the soft freeze is that the sorbet becomes an excellent base for cocktails. Simply add a scoop or two of sorbet, a shot of vodka, and top it off with a fizzy soda (such as lemon-lime or gingerale) for a sweet summer drink. 

Raspberry Rhubarb Sorbet is ideal for celebrating the summer months because it requires so few ingredients. Raspberries and rhubarb are boiled down into a sweet sauce and frozen into a soft sorbet. Honey is used as a natural sweetener, and it complements the fruit flavors well. While I suggest a full cup of honey, you can use less if you prefer a more tart sorbet. Simply taste as you go, and you will find your ideal sweetness.

One Year Ago: Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
Two Years Ago: Mint Sugar and Frozen Strawberry Bars
Three Years Ago: Peach & Blackberry Galette, Chocolate Cherry Cake, and Coconut Scones
Four Years Ago: Quinoa Pudding, Blueberry Hand Pies, Black Bean Salsa, and Harry Potter Treats
Five Years Ago: Margaritas and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Raspberry Rhubarb Sorbet

Yields about 1 quart

12 ounces (340 grams) rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch sections
6 ounces (170 grams) raspberries
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 cup (340 grams) honey 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb, raspberries, water, and honey and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft and translucent. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. 

Allow mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Run mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and fibers. Discard solids. Chill for 3-4 hours, or until cold.

Freeze mixture in ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze for 4-6 hours before serving. The sorbet will keep well for 2 weeks in the freezer.

Pear Vanilla Sorbet

Whenever I travel, the small moments stay with me longer than the big ones. The feeling of standing at the center of an ancient world in Delphi, Greece. The beauty of the fogs rolling in over the lush English countryside in springtime. A nectarine in southern France that tasted so divine that time stopped moving, just for a breath. It is the unexpected experiences that bury themselves in my memory, to be remembered and re-lived often.

I may not be able to tell you all of the landmarks I have seen or the museums I have visited, but I can tell you how it feels to sit on the steps of a church in Rome at night, the piazza lit with yellow lamps, and listen to a man softly strum a guitar. In the end, that may be more important after all.

On my recent trip to Paris and southern France, I fell in love with pear sorbet at Soleileïs, a quaint ice cream shop in Arles. The sorbet was the literal essence of pears; the texture, the delicate sweetness, and the soft flavor were all represented. From that moment on, whenever I found another ice cream cone on my travels—which was often—pear sorbet was tucked in the bottom of the cone so I could savor it in the last few bites.

While pear sorbet is somewhat of a staple in France (and perhaps most of Europe?), the United States is barren to such pleasures. Since I adore it so, I set out to create my own version of that first cone.

Not to be confused with pear ice cream (where pear is blended in more or less equal parts with cream), this sorbet stays pure to its namesake. Pears are peeled, cored, and cooked down with vanilla bean, forming the base of the dessert. There is little added sweetener in this sorbet, relying on the natural sugars of the pear to bring out the sweetness. The pear flavor reminds me of a good vanilla ice cream: satisfying spoonful after spoonful, but never overpowering. 

Make a batch to share and create your own new, small moments to remember.

Pears are cooked down with vanilla bean, lemon juice, and sugar before they are blended into a thick puree. Use a high setting to keep the sorbet silky smooth. The final sorbet will retain the flavor, sweetness, and texture of a good pear. I find that a cone full of sorbet can be used as a wonderful palate cleanser after meals, since it feels light and bright on the tongue.

One Year Ago:  Pear Chocolate Scones
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies and Vanilla Bean Marshmallows
Three Years Ago: How to Freeze Cookies Dough, Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Dark Chocolate Oatmeal
Four Years Ago: Minnesota Wild Rice Soup, Cherry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies, and Cranberry White Wine Spritzer

Pear Vanilla Sorbet

Yields about 1 quart

6 bosc (or bartlett) pears, peeled, cored, and diced into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise with seeds removed
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey)

In a large saucepan, place prepared pears, sugar, water, lemon juice, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla bean pod. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat, and simmer until the pears are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove vanilla bean pods. Stir in agave nectar. Cool until warm to the touch (it is dangerous to blend hot liquids because they expand drastically).

Transfer pears and juices to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Place in the refrigerator and chill 3-4 hours, or until cold.

Freeze mixture in ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 hours before serving. The sorbet will keep well for 2 weeks in the freezer.