There are some very strange people out there who claim not to like coconut. I don’t know how on earth a person couldn’t love something that’s naturally sweet, creamy, and the ideal companion to any and all tropical fruits—and a perfect mate to chocolate, too. This sherbet drizzled with Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce (page 243) will make a coconut convert of any nonbeliever.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

　　4 cups (1 liter) whole milk

　　1 cup (200 g) sugar

　　1 1/4 cups (90 g) dried unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

　　1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

　　3 large egg whites

　　Pinch of salt

　　

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and toasted coconut. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the saucepan, then drop in the pod. Heat the mixture until it’s warm, then remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.

　　

Step 2

Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer set over a bowl and squeeze the coconut with your hand to fully extract the flavor; discard the coconut. (The vanilla pod can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose; see page 14.) Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

　　

Step 3

Just before churning, in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or in a bowl by hand), whisk together the egg whites and salt on high speed until they form soft peaks. Fold the whipped egg whites into the chilled coconut-infused milk.

　　

Step 4

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

Serving

Step 5

A scoop of this sherbet is perfect nestled in a dish with Passion Fruit–Tangerine Sorbet (page 159) or Strawberry-Mango Sorbet (page 166). And I’ve been known to blend it with an imprudent amount of dark rum and fresh pineapple for an extraordinary piña colada.

　　

tips

Step 6

If you have concerns about using uncooked egg whites, use pasteurized egg whites designated “suitable for whipping,” available in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. Or, you can make the sherbet without them.

　　

Step 7

I prefer to use unsweetened coconut, but if you can only find the sweetened type, reduce the sugar in the recipe by 2 tablespoons (30 g).

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.