Lychee sorbet: another thermomix recipe (sorry)

I do apologise to readers who do not have this piece of kitchen equipment.  At the moment, this is what I am focusing on, but it should be fairly simple to adapt to 'normal' recipe format.  An ice cream maker helps tremendously here.

When I had my TM demo, one of the demo recipes was for a sorbet.  It was nice.  However, I felt that it could be improved. For a start, the unused sorbet froze absolutely solid in the freezer, making it difficult to serve later. Also despite all the zizzing, the texture was not smooth enough for my taste.  I put this down to the ice cubes used.
This is the Joy-improved method- and it worked.  First of all, I didn't use ice cubes, I made up the weight with extra frozen fruit.  Secondly, I added glycerine.  I had some in the cupboard because Beth needed some for the royal icing for the family Christmas cake so I knew it was safe.  It has a lower freezing point and therefore the finished product is softer and easier to serve straight from the freezer.

With any TM sorbet recipe, you have to start a couple of days before in order to get the fruit thoroughly frozen.   Lychees are my favourite exotic fruit.  It worked really well and was absolutely scrummy - and it is easy to scoop and serve.

Lychee sorbet

To make this, you need to start two days before.  It’s not a hassle, just needs doing.

Ingredients:

Three cans lychees in light syrup (total about 600g drained lychees) - OK, so this is not the cheapest sorbet in the world!

60g sugar

20g lemon juice

some reduced lychee syrup (see below)

one egg white

1 tsp glycerine (the kind you use for royal icing) – optional.  It stops the mixture from freezing absolutely solid.

Method:

Two days before.

Drain the lychees, reserving the light syrup

Single freeze the lychees, covered, for 24 hours before bagging.  I lay some easy leave on a baking tray, set out the lychees so they are not touching, cover with more easy leave and then put a poly bag and baggie on top (so they are there ready).  After 24 hours, I pop the frozen lychees in the bag and tie up with the baggie, before taking the baking tray and easy leave sheets back to the kitchen.

Put the syrup in a pan and bring to a boil.  Gently simmer until the syrup has reduced to around 1/3 of the original amount.  Cool and chill.

On the day - early (or the day before if using the glycerine):

Make sure everything you will use is chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours.

1.     Weigh the sugar into the bowl and grind for 5 seconds at speed 10.  This makes very  acceptable icing sugar.

2.     Add the frozen lychees, lemon juice and some of the chilled lychee syrup (I added about 4 tbsp)  Speed 7 until it is finely crushed.  When the mixture stops moving around the bowl, scrape down the side and then gradually turn the speed up to 9 while stirring clockwise with the spatula.  It takes about 1-2 mins and you may need to add a little more syrup.  At this point you have water ice – very nice but it can be improved.

3.     Add the egg white and the glycerine (if using).  No need to use glycerine if you intend to serve the sorbet straight away.  Insert the butterfly whisk and whisk for 30 seconds at speed 4 until light and creamy.  Taste and whisk a little longer if needed.  The glycerine lowers the freezing point, so it may go mushier at this point.

Spoon into a freezer proof container and rush straight to the freezer with it (unless you are serving it all straight away, in which case you don't need the glycerine). 

Lychees are my favourite exotic fruit and this is absolutely lovely.  I will certainly make it again and adapt for other fruit too.  You can buy lychee liqueur and this would be a lovely addition.