A quick squiz on my Instagram feed shows me that the world is made up of two types of people right now:
1) those in Ibiza/Positano/Sorrento/Salento in their high-waisted bikinis and no amount of selfies will suffice to show this to the world; and
2) those who are hot and sweaty in any domestic situation and think that the rest of us don't get the fact that it is hot (and we are all sweaty).
To heck with it, let's shake things up a bit and make a beautiful Mango, Vanilla, Blueberry Sorbet Pie. Because surely, a cool, summery, mango treat can unite us all in this heat.
So this is a great party trick you can keep up your sleeves - it's dead easy to prepare, and I'm not even going to complicate it by telling you to make your own gelato or ice cream, we don't have time for that because we're too busy being hot and sweaty or just hot and sweaty and fabulous.
This Mango, Vanilla, Blueberry Sorbet Pie is as simple as stirring around some berries for a few minutes, crushing some biscuits and nuts in a ziplock bag, scooping some gelato, scooping some more gelato, and freezing the whole thing.
You got this.
Beeline to your nearest gelateria or supermarket - I actually used Picard's delicious mango sorbet and vanilla bean gelato, but if you want to go get real gelato or substitute any kind of ice cream for this you are welcome (coconut ice cream in place of vanilla would be really fantastic I think).
Here I would like to confess to you my love for the French supermarket chain Picard 💁🏻 Everything is gourmet, but frozen... My Parisienne friends openly admit that they've hosted dinner parties entirely made of Picard, from antipasti to dessert, to great success! Convenient frozen food? Don't snob it, embrace it - especially if it comes from the French!
Oh and since we are in Italy the terms 'gelato' and 'ice cream' are used interchangeably, liberally.
Outside of Italy they tend to be strict about the differences between the two, and in fact they are different: compared to American style ice-cream, gelato has less air incorporated into it and is denser, the flavours are more intense because it's lower in fat which coats the tongue in a different way.
Speaking of gelato, if you are in the Naviglio area of Milan, I highly, highly, recommend Latteneve - the place might not look like much, rather sterile if you'd ask me (the nearby tourist traps have much more to show for in terms of enticing passerby with their antique shelving and retro cabinets), but their salt and pepper pistachio gelato made with DOP certified nuts from Bronte is heavenly.
Since I got your attention with this yellow beauty on a sky blue background, let me tell you about some other things I've been thinking about these days which you might want to think about too:
- What I'm definitely going to make this week: Bon Appétit's Citrus-Shrimp Lettuce Cups. I just got back from a week in Puglia and I miss the seafood there so this hits the spot (minus the carbs which I ate way too much of in a week!)🍤🍤🍤
- I've been saying it all the time to my Italian mates (and of course nobody really gets me) but Aussies RULE in the breakfast game, and the New York Times thinks so too 😍 GO AUSSIEEEEE!
- For the ladies, one word, one site: YesStyle.com 💄This Korean online make-up store is SO GOOD! They have so many cute products (like this lip gloss set from PeriPera that comes in a mini DIY fridge), just make sure you have the next couple of hours free before you hop onto it. FYI I got myself this for my faint Asian eyebrows.
- I recently finished reading Bill Bryson's book "Downunder: Travels from a Sunburned Country" where he talks about Australia and makes you deep-belly-laugh at every page - even my Italian 🐸 is onto it (reading the Italian version) - and just as I was fondly remembering my own experience in sunny Queensland I saw this Guardian photo essay on the dying Great Barrier Reef. The coral reef there is larger than the size of UK, Holland and Switzerland combined and large parts are beyond recovery, all due to the rise in surface temperature of the ocean - please, please, please guys, climate change is real. Do your part.
- Apparently Aperol Spritz is raking it in this summer - have you noticed this all over Instagram as well? 2018 "Millennials Drink of the Summer" they say, but I still prefer my bitter Campari Spritz.
Looks like that's it from me now. Just take a look at this wonderful mango sorbet pie once again.
Some notes on the recipe are below, have a read and I wish you all Mango Vanilla Blueberry Sorbet Pie success!
Lots of love,
Diana 🍹🍦
A few notes on the recipe:
- For the crust, I used my Italian frollino biscuits because I had them at home ( = emergency breakfast food), but of course classic digestive biscuits, butter cookies, or any kind of simple biscuit should work just fine.
- After the vanilla gelato and jam layer, if it looks too soft pop it in the freezer for half an hour before adding the mango sorbet. This, or end up with a goopy mix of vanilla and mango in a crust.
(My Milanese apartment without built-in air-conditioning is a nightmare to work in these days and everything was just melting!)
MANGO SORBET PIE WITH VANILLA AND BLUEBERRY COULIS
Makes a 22cm pie
INGREDIENTS
50 g blueberries (or raspberries, blackberries)
15 g sugar
1 tb water
150 g biscuits (I used frollini biscuits, see notes above)
130 g pistachios, shelled
60 g butter, melted
500 g mango sorbet
300 g vanilla gelato
coconut flakes, crushed meringue, nuts to decorate
HOW TO
1. For the blueberry coulis: place the berries, sugar, water in a small saucepan and bring to boil over gentle heat, stirring continuously. Reduce to a simmer and heat for 10 minutes until thickened. Set aside to cool.
2. Put the biscuits and pistachios in a large ziplock bag and close it removing as much air as possible. Crush them into small crumbs by going over with a rolling pin several times. (Or pulse the cookies and nuts in a food processor until they form fine crumbs!) Add the melted butter and combine.
2. Transfer to a pie tin and using a cup with a flat bottom, press evenly on the base and along the sides. Refrigerate for half an hour.
3. Take the sorbet and vanilla gelato out of the freezer to soften a little, about 10 minutes - but this will depend on the type of gelato/ice cream/sorbet that you have. Scoop out the vanilla gelato and spread evenly onto the crust. Spoon over the blueberry coulis, followed by the mango sorbet. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours.
4. Just before serving, sprinkle with the coconut flakes, crushed meringue, nuts to decorate.
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