Homemade Plum Sorbet with Cardamom and Brandy
·Roast the plums first
Preheat your oven to 190°C. Arrange the plums cut-side up in a baking dish, sprinkle with vanilla sugar and add the lemon juice and zest. Roast for 20–25 minutes, until beautifully soft and releasing their juices.
Make a fragrant syrup
In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, cardamom (ideally crushed in a mortar) and an empty vanilla pod to a boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let it infuse for about 10 minutes so the syrup soaks up all the flavours. Finally, strain it through a sieve.
Blend into a smooth purée
Once the roasted plums have cooled, blend them with their juices into a purée. For an extra-smooth consistency, pass it through a fine sieve. Stir in the prepared syrup and add the brandy. (We ended up with 270 g of purée and 150 ml of syrup.)
Finish in the ice cream maker
Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the finished sorbet into a freezer-safe container and let it firm up in the freezer to your preferred consistency – 1 hour for a softer scoop, 4–6 hours for firm scoops.