Tried and Tested Recipe: Sorbet Bombe

I found this recipe in the new Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine, Summer Edition. The recipe is for Sorbet Bombe, a do-it-yourself "cake" made of sorbet. It looked delicious in the magazine, so I gave it a try. This is a great recipe not only for a wedding reception but for your next summer barbecue or afternoon tea, too.

I've included the recipe here with a few notes from my own experience:

Ingredients:
Serves 8 to 12 (from one 10-cup mold)

• 3 pints peach sorbet
• 2 pints coconut sorbet
  I chose to use mango and raspberry Ciao Bella Sorbet that I found at Harris Teeter. I also used a three cup mold for my first try at this recipe. Using a three cup mold, I only needed a pint of each sorbet flavor.

Directions:

1. Soften peach sorbet by beating in a mixer bowl until smooth. Immediately spread into bottom and up sides of a 10-cup mold or bowl. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
   I don't have a hand mixer, so I used my stand mixer instead. Word to the wise, use the cover when beating the sorbet. Also beat the sorbet in small batches before transferring to the mold. The stand mixer heats the sorbet very fast and causes it to become overly melted quickly. To counter act this, I put the mold in the freezer while I beat the second batch of mango sorbet (about 10 minutes). In total, I need two batches of mango sorbet for cover the outer layer of the mold.
   
   
2. Soften coconut sorbet in mixer; pack into center of mold; smooth top of bombe. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight, or up to 1 week. (To create a layered bombe, measure the amount of water your mold will hold to determine how much sorbet you will need. Spread the first layer into bottom of mold and smooth; freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Then add the next layer, freeze again, and repeat.)
   For the second layer of my bombe I used raspberry sorbet. I followed the same process as in Step 1. I found that, because I had froze the sorbet between batches when putting in the mango, I didn't need to freeze the mango layer for a full hour before adding the raspberry. About 20 minutes was all it took to harden the mango enough to add the raspberry sorbet. I also added an extra layer of mango sorbet to the very top of the mold. I wrapped mine in foil, then in a gallon size plastic zip bag to prevent freezer burn.
   
   
3. To unmold, dip mold in hot water to slightly melt outer layer. Invert onto a cake stand, and remove mold. Serve, or return to the freezer for up to 8 hours.
   
   
4. To serve, cut into slices with a knife (if necessary, dip knife in warm water for easier cutting).
   I had a hard time unmolding my bombe. The outer layer melted too much, causing the outside to look runny and not show the mold design. I needed to serve part of my sorbet to guests immediately, so I cut and plated each piece and popped each plate back in the freezer for five minutes. The plates had a little extra sorbet on them, so I wiped that off with a napkin and served. My guests loved it and never knew it was supposed to have design.
   

Image and recipe courtesy of http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/recipe/sorbet-bombe.