Daylight come and she wanna go home.

What do ice creams and sorbets have to do with a blog mainly dedicated to baking? Absolutely nothing. Nothing to do with baking and everything to do with memories.

Looks like I haf son splainin to thoo. You see, my mom just flew down to the Pearl of the Caribbean, Cuba (voluntarily, I might add), to spend a few weeks with her dear sister, my lovely aunt Carmelina. Mom will also be in the company of her brothers, nieces, nephews and a friendly mob of curious onlookers.
Mom and I have made these trips together in the past, but not this time. I just couldn’t part with my crew here at home, so I stayed behind.

Needless to say, but say I will, I’m feeling melancholy, and a bit nettled, thinking about the fun I could’ve had seeing everyone, enjoying unisonous conversations as we always do whenever we all get together; always too many stories to catch up on, and never enough time to cover them all. I also would’ve loved revisiting my old stomping grounds. Ay caramba. Today is one of those days when I could use a good Cuban Mojito, and I don’t drink.
And for those of you out there skim-reading this . . . I'M POUTING!

Pouting aside, I decided to try to get back some of that beautiful tropical island flavor and maybe a little ambience, by making and enjoying some of my favorite treats, Coconut Ice Cream and Mango Sorbet, which --by the way-- are all history now.
There are so many variations of ice creams using these two tropical fruits, such as, Mango/Ginger Sorbet, Coconut/Banana Ice Cream, etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but, I wanted to indulge my taste buds with the true and purest of flavors, one fruit at a time. ¡Por favor!

These cool treats are put together quickly; they're delicious, and they’re (snicker) good for you too, which is why I felt so virtuous when I shoveled the entire thing in my mouth. Kidding!
I’m a firm believer that one should enjoy everything in moderation, and may lightning strike me if I’m lyi . . . Boom! Crash! Zzzzzap!



Mango Sorbet

2 mangos, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt

Make a simple syrup by combining 1 cup water with the ½ cup of sugar in a pan. Bring to a boil, and cook until sugar completely dissolves. Cool slightly. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Chill mixture thoroughly. Then, freeze in ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions.




If you like coconut, then I strongly suggest you try this one, and call me on your way to Heaven. Incidentally, the chocolate cup was made by painting several coats of melted chocolate into a small, round bowl. I let each coat set, before adding the next. The quickest way to do this is by setting the chocolate cup in the fridge between coats. The butterfly was made from sugarpaste.

Coconut Ice Cream

1 (15 oz. can) Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
1¼ cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup shredded fresh and toasted coconut or dried unsweetened coconut
pinch of salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl and chill thoroughly. Freeze according to ice cream machine directions. Store in the freezer for 3-4 hours or overnight before serving.

And if you’ve been searching for a take-no-prisoners Hot Fudge Sauce, your search is over.

Rich Hot Fudge Sauce

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup sifted cocoa
½ to 1 teaspoon instant espresso (I use Medaglia D'oro), optional
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

In a large saucepan, heat the butter and cream over medium heat until the butter is melted and small bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
Whisk in the brown sugar and corn syrup. Continue to cook gently, until the mixture is smooth and sugar has completely dissolved. Add the cocoa, instant espresso, vanilla and salt. Whisk again until smooth. Remove from heat and strain mixture through a fine sieve. Straining the sauce is optional, but I’m persnickety about such things. This will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks, but it won't last that long. Adapted from the book, At Blanchard's Table.