Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (177 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN
Desserts: Extending the Repertoire

FROZEN DESSERTS—SHERBETS, ICE CREAMS, AND MOUSSES
Entremets Glacés

A
S LONG AS YOUR FREEZER MAINTAINS
a steady temperature of zero degrees or less, you need no other ice cream contraption to produce a marvelous parade of frozen fantasies. We start this delicious group with a simple sherbet made from sieved canned apricots, proceed to a mousse of fresh strawberries (pausing to make some sugar-cookie cups to serve them in), and continue with chocolate-burnt-almond ice cream, a walnut and caramel mousse,
bombe glacée
, and directions for parfaits and frozen soufflés.
Le Saint-Cyr,
a handsome mold of chocolate mousse and meringues, leads into a digression on meringued whipped cream either as a filling for cream horns or as a vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.
La Surprise du Vésuve
ends the section in a dramatic burst of flames.

  
MOUSSE À L’ABRICOT, GLACÉE

[Apricot Sherbet]

Easy, delicious, and available all year round is apricot sherbet made from canned apricots. Timing is 4 to 5 hours, but it is easier to be leisurely and start the mousse the day before serving.

For about 1 quart, serving 4 to 6 people

1)
The sherbet mixture

A No. 2 can (1 lb. 14 ounces) or two 1-lb. cans of apricot halves

A food mill with fine disk

A quart measure

A 2½-quart mixing bowl

2 egg whites in a small, clean beating bowl

An electric mixer, with clean, dry blades

About ½ cup sugar (“instant” superfine if possible)

2 Tb lemon juice

2 to 3 drops of almond extract

Drain apricots, purée them, and put into measure. Add enough of their juice to make 2 cups, and turn purée into mixing bowl. Beat egg whites with mixer until they form soft peaks, and set aside. Then, with mixer, beat the sugar and lemon juice into the apricot purée; continue beating for several minutes to dissolve sugar completely—until you can feel no granules on your tongue. If not sweet enough, beat in a little more sugar; be careful, however, because sugar proportions should be no more than ¼ part of the mixture or sherbet will not freeze properly. Whip in the beaten egg whites with mixer; their purpose is to discourage large ice crystals from forming. Add the drops of almond extract, which will bring out the apricot flavor.

2)
Freezing the mousse—4 to 5 hours minimum at zero degrees or less

A flat pan about 9 by 12 inches in diameter, if you are in a hurry; or a mixing bowl; or ice trays if you have little room

Plastic wrap

An electric mixer or a large wire whip

Optional: a serving bowl or ice cream mold

The
apricot sauce

Sherbet mixture is now to be frozen, and beaten up once or twice during the process to break up ice crystals and give a smooth, light texture. Turn it into a flat pan or ice trays if you are rushed; leave in mixing bowl if you are not. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 2 to 3 hours, or until sherbet has begun to set.

When partially set, scrape into mixing bowl if sherbet is in a pan or trays. Beat vigorously with electric mixer or wire whip; sherbet will increase in volume and begin to whiten. Cover and freeze again for an hour or so, and again beat it up; then turn it into a serving bowl or ice cream mold if you wish. Cover, and freeze for several hours more before serving, (
NOTE
: If you are in no hurry and sherbet has frozen hard before you have beaten it, leave at room temperature until softened, and beat with an electric mixer; then return to freezer and continue as usual.)

Let mousse soften for half an hour in the refrigerator before serving, and accompany, if you wish, with the apricot sauce. (See also the
cookie cups
, which you can use instead of sherbet dishes.)

VARIATIONS

Mousse à l’Abricot, Chantilly

To make a richer and softer sherbet, really an ice cream, you may incorporate whipped cream as follows.

For 1½ quarts, serving 6 to 8 people

The preceding apricot sherbet mixture

1 cup chilled whipping cream in a beating bowl

A large bowl with a tray of ice cubes and water to cover them

A large wire whip or hand-held electric mixer

A rubber spatula

Optional: a chilled serving bowl or ice cream mold

At the end of the first freezing, after you have beaten the apricot sherbet and it has increased in volume and whitened, fold in the lightly whipped cream,
crème Chantilly.
(Cream should always be beaten separately; if beaten with the sherbet you will not get as much volume.) Set bowl of cream over ice cubes and water. Circulating whip or beater about bowl to incorporate as much air as possible, beat until cream has doubled in volume and beater leaves light traces on surface.