Ice cream is typically not a place for subtlety. Cold dulls taste. That's why ice cream is perfect, and melted ice cream cloying. Ice creams are also seemingly designed for bold flavors -- chocolate chip cookie dough, butter pecan, rum raisin.
Or so it might seem, at least from this side of the Atlantic. But this is a subtle sorbet, more French than American. The flavor combination is a direct ripoff of Pierre Herme's famous Ispahan macaron, rose-scented meringue biscuits sandwiching a rose and litchi cream and ringed with raspberries. It is one of my favorite desserts in the world, and Pierre Herme is one of my first stops when I'm lucky enough to visit Paris.
Every component is essential. The rose draws out litchi's floral character and adds a whiff of crimson romance. The litchi bridges the floral and the fruit, with a silken mouthfeel and exotic flair. The raspberry grounds the two, and gives a body to wear all that chiffon.
Recipe: Add to your Vitamix 1 1/2 cups of frozen raspberries, half a frozen banana, and 2 tablespoons of rose water. Blend until very smooth. Use your fingers to rip up 1/4 cup fresh or canned litchis and add to 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt. Mix and dollop on top of the sorbet. Top with lemon zest to brighten. Serves 2.
