A Fruity dilemma /-/ Apricot pear and mint sorbet with cardamom biscuits.

I will never thought I would whine about having too much fruit in the house. Fruit is something that I could not live without, Pink lady apples are my absolute favourite but I adore so many others. Everyday I would eat over 4 pieces, yes that four WHOLE piece of honking fruit a day. I think it is borderline addiction to fruit or at least an unhealthy healthy habit.



It is summer in Australia right now so that means an abundance of soft (berries, grapes) and stone (apricots, peaches) fruits are in season and growing like mad. A bit cross that the Pink lady apples have seem to disappeared but I guess that how the season rolls.



Now this is great if were not for the weather we are currently having in Australia. It is damp, warm and humid; all these conditions have lead to my fruit bowl becoming brown before its time. I like my fruit crisp and almost raw still, so the mere sight of overdone-ness will lead it to be further neglected ( unless my dad picks it up on the way to work).



Thanks to the weather and unusually sweet fruit, I have a home threatening to be overrun by pieces of ripe fruit. No even my mass consumption of fruit can handle the pressure of the summer harvest. Freezing is my best friend right now. Wonderful preserving technique and also makes for a great excuse to whip up some sobert.



Sorbet is a sweetened fruit puree which is frozen, churned and churned some more in order to produce a icy treat suitable for all types. I do not own a ice cream maker but this icy treat does not require one as I learnt from watching an episode of Nigella Forever summer a while back. Another interesting fact I came across when making this sorbet is that different fruits require cooking and some can be simply blitzed up.



Pears have been unusually sweet this year, so pairing them up with the tart sourness of apricots and mellow bitterness of mint provides the flavour balance. Another spice I have recently become obsessed with is green cardamom; they provide a hidden citrusy hum to these butter biscuits. Making ice cream sandwiches has to be best bit about icy treats, but with these flavours they are grown up enough to serve at your next dinner party.



Apricot, Pear and Mint Sobert with Cardamom shortbread



Makes about 1.5 L of sorbet.


Cardamon Short bread

Adapted from Donna Hay Modern classics book 2



250g butter

155g caster sugar

100g icing sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 egg yolk

335g plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted



Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).

Place the butter and sugar in an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla, spice and egg yolk and beat well to combine.

Add the flour and beat until a smooth dough forms. Divide the dough into 4 portions and wrap each portion in plastic wrap.

Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until the dough is firm.

Roll out each portion of dough between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper until 5mm thick. Remove the baking paper and use a 7cm round cookie cutter to cut out rounds from each sheet. Place the cookies on baking trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 8 minutes or until the cookies are light golden. Cool on wire racks. Makes 28



Apricot and Pear Sobert

Based on the ratios in PS desserts by Philippa Sibley



500g fresh seeded Apricots

500g Fresh peel and cored Pears

30g fresh mint

60g Glucose powder

200g Caster sugar

300ml water



Place pears, apricots, mint, glucose powder, caster sugar and water in a large saucepan.

Simmer until tender and place in a blender.

Blend until fully pureed then push through a fine sieve to remove pulp and mint leaves. Allow to cool.

Place in a shallow tray and freeze for 1 hour. After remove and break it up into small pieces.

In a food processor, blend frozen shards of sorbet until fully broken down. Re freeze for 1 hour.

Repeat the blending process after 1 hour. Store in freezer until used.