Cream ice and water ice, the former shaped in elaborate moulds, have been a popular summer treat in Europe at least since the 17th century but they were difficult to make and keep until 'refrigerators' or 'iceboxes' were invented. Nancy Maria Donaldson from the U.S. obtained a patent for a hand-cranked icecream 'freezer' in 1843 while the English Agnes Bertha Marshall, the so-called 'queen of ices', devised her own icecream making equipment in the last quarter of the 19th century.
Marshall published hundreds of icecream recipes in The Book of Ices (1893) and in Fancy Ices (1894), at the end of which she advertised
her patent 'freezer', 'ice cave', 'ice breaker' and 'cabinet
refrigerators' as well as samples of her icecream moulds and other utensils. The recipe featured in today's post is melon sorbet, inspired from both of Marshall's works.
From The Book of Ices:
Take off the skin from a ripe melon about 1 1/2 lbs. in weight and pound the melon till smooth, then add half a pint of boiling water into which 4 sheets of Marshall's gelatine has been dissolved, 3 ounces of sugar, the juice of 2 oranges or lemons, 1 wine-glass of curaçoa or maraschino syrup, 1 wine-glass of 'Silver-Rays' (white rum), and 3/4 ounce of ground ginger; add this to 1 pint of water, and freeze for moulding or to serve rough."
From Fancy Ices:
Take off the skin of a large ripe melon and pound three-quarters of the fruit till smooth; then add to it a pint of water, three ounces of castor sugar, and the juice of two oranges and two lemons; pass the purée through the tammy, add one glass of Marshall's Curaçao or Maraschino Syrup, and half a pint of champagne; freeze it in the charged freezer to a semi-solid concistency, and serve in prepared ice-water cups (see recipe) or glasses; garnish these with the remainder of the melon, that has been cut in fine slices and spinkled with castor sugar and a little champagne, and put on ice in a pan till required; then sprinkle with shredded pistachio nuts, and use for a sorbet, or for dessert, tennis parties etc."
MELON SORBET
This version is easy to prepare and creamy enough to serve in bowls.
I n g r e d i e n t s
the flesh of a big melon (about 700g), in chunks
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1tbsp honey
3/4 cups water
1tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp grappa or white rum
M e t h o d
Boil the sugar, honey, and water in a pan. Combine with the fruit and mash in a food processor. Add the lemon juice and grappa or white rum and set the purée aside to cool. Refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours, then prepare the sorbet in your icecream maker.
V a r i a t i o n
Make the sorbet with only fruit, sugar, honey and water. Boil 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, 2tbsp grappa (or white rum) and 3/4 cups powdered sugar for 2-3 minutes, set aside to cool and pour over the dessert just before serving. For a version that's closer to Marshall's 'fancy ice', make the syrup with champagne instead of water.
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