Cantaloupe Sorbet

What's a better refreshment than a self made sorbet? Maybe ice cream, but if you don't have an ice cream maker on hand this will work just as good. It all had started with me going food shopping, an activity I really enjoy doing. So today I found this small and round Cantaloupe, which talked to me and insisted on taking it home to my kitchen. And it happened that I did. I just can't resist talking fruits. That's the simplicity of the whole story.

Then I had this Cantaloupe at my house and it wanted to be used so badly right away. I mean it was very ripe and I am sure extremely sweet. But to cut it up and eat it as a plain snack was too boring for both of us. The fruit wanted to be made into a special dish, as she told me. Thinking about various fruit dishes a sorbet sounded just right.

That it was, making a sorbet, tasting like the pure freshness of this Cantaloupe and bringing back this taste into my mouth. For a more exotic taste I added a few tablespoons coconut milk and some fresh mint leaves and the sorbet was ready enjoy.

I approve afterwards, there is no better way tasting a single fresh fruit than making it into a sorbet and getting the full aroma out of it. And the melon told me later, it was very happy to be used for this delicacy.

Cantaloupe Sorbet

Ingredients:
1/2 of a small Cantaloupe
5 tablespoons coconut milk
fresh mint leaves

Directions:
Peel and then cut the Cantaloupe into small pieces.
Freeze for about 10 minutes.
Mix the frozen Cantaloupe pieces and the coconut milk until smooth.
Fill into a pre-cooled bowl and garnish with the mint leaves.

Petit Fours

Have you ever tried Petit Fours? Because I never wanted to try them. They looked like so much work and time spending in the kitchen. But gladly I was taught something else. After one of my friends insisted on making them I agreed to help her. Afterwards I have to say it is so much fun making them and the only part taking long is decorating. 

You want real pretty Petit Fours? Then you have to calculate a long time for the decorating, because frosting all those little squares is a little time consuming and nothing for impatient people. But anyways, they will look extremely neat and there are no rules made up for decorating: So it's time to be creative!

The secret about them is the fruity mixture in between the layers. It gives this treat a special twist. Making this recipe I thought I will die of a sugar shock, eating only one of them. Because I have to admit they are containing a lot of sugar. Luckily they didn't taste too sweet in the end.

Petit Fours

makes about 21 Petit Fours

Ingredients:

5 medium sized eggs

1 pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar + some more to sprinkle (100g)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour (120g)

1 knife tip baking powder

1 cup strawberries, apricots or mangos (150g)

1.5 oz strawberry or apricot jam

5.2 oz raw marzipan 

3 cups powdered sugar (350g)

5 tablespoons lemon juice

Food coloring

Directions:

Preheat oven to 390 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

For the dough separate the eggs. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff. When they begin to set, sprinkle in salt, sugar and vanilla extract.

Gradually add the egg yolks into the egg whites - only as long as there aren't any more traces of the yolk visible. If the entire yolks are processed, mix flour with baking powder and fold under batter loosely but thoroughly with a whisk.

Spread the dough evenly on the baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. Place a kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle with sugar. With energy turn the baked dough over onto the cloth and remove the parchment paper carefully. Let it cool down, then cut into three equal sized rectangles.

For the filling either wash, peel or pit and then chop the fruits. Mix with the jam and coat two of the rectangle tops with it. Pile the coated rectangle bases, the coated side facing upwards and put the uncoated one on top. Press together gently and cut a thin slice off each side of cake.

Knead together the marzipan with 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar and roll out to the size of the rectangles.

Mix the remaining powdered sugar with the lemon juice to a thick glaze. Coat the top layer with a little of the glaze, place the marzipan on top and press slightly to the dough so it can stick to it and won't fall off. 

With a long knife cut cake into 1-1/4-inch squares. Now it's time to be creative.....

Separate the glaze into different small bowls and add the food coloring. Color as many different glazes as you like. Apply glaze evenly over tops and sides of cake squares, allowing excess to drip off. Let dry. Repeat if necessary to thoroughly coat squares. Let dry completely.

And now it is time to enjoy your work!

Adapted from Sweet Basics