Ingredients for 1 × 480 ml tub
| 285 g | ripe mirabelle plums, pitted, skin on |
| 1 g | one star anise |
| 60 g | caster sugar |
| 14 g | dextrose |
| 1 g | guar gum (E412) |
| 109 g | water |
| 470 g | Total |
Weigh everything to the gram on a digital scale: that is the secret of balance. Total 470 g, below the MAX line.
Method
- Wash the mirabelles, split them in half with your fingers and remove the stones. The thin golden skin, freckled with red, brings colour and perfume: leave it on.
- In a bowl, stir together the sugar, dextrose and guar gum while dry, so the guar disperses without lumps.
- Heat the water in a small pan until it just simmers (about 85 °C), take off the heat, add the one star anise, cover and leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then strain.
- Let it cool completely (in the fridge, or set the pan in a bowl of iced water).
- Put into the blender the fruit and the cold infusion. Blend until smooth, then, with the motor running, sprinkle in the sugar-and-guar mix and blend for another 30–40 seconds: guar thickens cold.
- Pour into the Dolci tub without going past the MAX line. Freeze for 24 hours at −18 °C: lid off for the first few hours only, then close it.
- Fit the tub and run the SORBET program. If it isn’t creamy enough, do a RE-SPIN (add 1 tablespoon of juice or water if needed).
- Serve straight away.
Chef’s touch
Mirabelles are small, golden and honey-sweet. A single star anise, steeped in the water, stretches their perfume without covering it: the ultimate late-summer sorbet.
Sherbet version
with creamy fresh cheese, same method
| 200 g | ripe mirabelle plums, pitted, skin on |
| 1 g | one star anise |
| 25 g | mascarpone, well chilled |
| 78 g | caster sugar |
| 3 g | dextrose |
| 1 g | guar gum (E412) |
| 162 g | water |
| 470 g | Total |
Sherbet version: same method, only the amounts change. The mascarpone, well chilled, is blended with the fruit before the sugar-and-guar mix goes in, and is never heated: round and velvety, it hugs the sweetness of the fruit. About 2 % fat: creamier, still light. Contains milk and lactose.
Frequently asked questions
How much mirabelle plum do I need for one Tefal Dolci tub?
285 g ripe mirabelle plums, pitted, skin on out of 470 g of mix, that is 61%. The rest is 60 g sugar and 14 g dextrose, 1 g guar gum and water: amounts calculated so you never go past the MAX line of the 480 ml tub.
How long should I freeze this mirabelle plum sorbet?
24 hours at −18 °C with the tub level: lid off for the first hours only, then closed. With fewer hours the core stays soft and the result is uneven. Then run the SORBET program.
Why did my sorbet come out powdery or hard?
Very cold sorbets can look powdery after the first spin: that’s normal, run RE-SPIN, adding 1 tablespoon of juice or water if needed. If it’s hard or icy, the fruit wasn’t ripe enough or the sugars weren’t weighed to the gram. This recipe is calculated on a Brix of about 13.5: with much sweeter or much less sweet fruit, the traffic light in the ICED METHOD APP helps you correct the grams.
Which months are best for this sorbet?
Season: August – September. Out of season, choose good-quality frozen fruit. Always use fully ripe fruit: it makes all the difference.
Does the sorbet contain milk? And the sherbet version?
The sorbet version contains no milk or dairy. The sherbet version adds 25 g mascarpone (about 2% fat): creamier, but it contains milk and lactose.
More sorbets in season
04Wild bramble blackberry sorbetBrix ≈ 6.5 · 66% fruit
14Black plum and poppy seed sorbetBrix ≈ 11 · 68% fruit
15Mediterranean fig sorbetBrix ≈ 12.5 · 64% fruitBrix source: Ciqual 2020 table (ANSES), code 13027 “Mirabelle plum, raw”: indicative value (±2), it changes with variety and ripeness.
Tefal, Moulinex and Dolci are trademarks of Groupe SEB, mentioned for descriptive purposes only: ICED METHOD° is not affiliated with or sponsored by them. Always follow your machine’s manual (MAX line, programs, warnings). Allergens: check the label of every product.