Sweet caramelised pineapple and fragrant basil make a winning team in this simple sorbet. This easy but elegant pineapple sorbet is the perfect make-ahead summer dessert for balmy nights.
- Holiday flavours: “I first tasted this flavour combination at a gelateria in Sorrento, overlooking the Bay of Naples, and it’s stayed with me ever since,” says head of food Tom Shingler. “The pineapple is still the dominant flavour, but the basil adds just a little bit of background fragrance and tempers the sweetness with its herbaceous finish. They work in perfect harmony together and I’m surprised you don’t see them paired up more in restaurants.”
- No ice cream maker needed: “Sorbets and granitas are easy to master at home,” says Tom. “Since they’re water-based rather than dairy-based, you don’t need to churn them quite as intensely as milk or cream. You can get great results with both, even without an ice cream machine.”
- Ideal make-ahead dessert: “Sorbets are a great make-ahead option for hosting,” says Tom. “Just remember to take out of the freezer 5 minutes before trying to dish up.”
- Scale it up: this recipe scales up easily. You may have to work in batches depending on how big your blender is.
Browse more totally tropical desserts, including more ideas for pineapple, mango and coconut.
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 50g soft brown dark sugar
- 150g caster sugar
- 6 basil leaves, plus extra leaves to garnish
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Method
- Add the oil, pineapple and both sugars to a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the sugar turns syrupy and bubbles around the fruit (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat, add 175ml cold water, then transfer to a blender.
- Whizz on high speed until completely smooth. Add the basil and blend again. Pass through a fine sieve into a container, then leave to cool completely before putting in the fridge to chill.
- At this point you can either transfer the purée into an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or put the container in the freezer for 4-6 hours until firm, stirring with a fork every hour or so to break up the ice crystals.
- Take the sorbet out of the freezer for 5 minutes, then serve scoops garnished with a basil leaf.
Nutrition
- 173kcals Calories
- 1.7g (0.1g saturated) Fat
- 0.6g Protein
- 37g (37g sugars) Carbs
- 1.4g Fibre
- trace Salt
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