Pear Sorbet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet of some renown. I'm sure he never dreamed his words would be used to review a recipe, but one of his poems sums up the dilemma I have with today's recipe. I suspect, wittingly or not, you've committed his verse about the little girl who had a little curl, to memory. I'm going to paraphrase the verse to suit the needs of my review, so I'll continue on and say, that when this pear sorbet is good, it is very very good, but when it is bad it is horrid. Horrid? Yup, like many recipes that use only a handful of ingredients, this one works only if you use top quality ingredients. That means your pears must be seasonal and ripe and that the wine you use must be sweet, not cloying, and of drinkable quality. A good Riesling would be perfect, but pear or apple cider are acceptable substitutes. Apple juice will overpower the flavor of the pears, so I can't recommend its use here. This is a fairly sophisticated sorbet and I would not serve it to everyone, but those with discerning palates will love it. Here's the recipe.

Pear Sorbet...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
5 small pears, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup sweet Riesling or sauterne (pear or apple cider may be substituted)
1/3 cup sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:
1) Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until pears are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly.
2) Pour mixture into a food processor; cover and process for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Transfer to a 13 x 9-inch dish. Cover and freeze for 4 hours or until firm.
3) Just before serving, process again in a food processor for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Spoon into dessert dishes. Yield: 4 servings.







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