Tasty and Easy Recipes

Ingredients:
750g frozen organic raspberries
85g fructose (available at supermarkets)
10 ml (2 tsp) vodka (optional)
Crushed dry ice

Method:
Thaw the raspberries, then pur’e them in a blender.
Pass the pur’e through a coarse sieve to remove the seeds.
Weigh out 600g of the pur’e and add to a bowl containing the fructose and vodka if using.
Stir until the fructose has dissolved. At this point the sorbet base can be refrigerated until needed.
To prepare the frozen sorbet, pour the raspberry base into the bowl of a food mixer and, using the paddle attachment, begin mixing it at a slow speed. Crush the dry ice by wrapping in a tea towel and beating with a rolling pin.
Slowly add spoonfuls of crushed dry ice. Continue mixing and adding dry ice a little at a time until the sorbet has frozen. Serve immediately or place in the freezer.

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 (18-1/4 ounce) box of golden butter cake mix (can substitute any yellow cake mix)
4 eggs
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges in light syrup
1/2 cup canola or other vegetable oil

Icing:
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping
1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 9″x2″ cake pans and set aside.
Combine the cake mix, eggs, oranges with syrup, and oil in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and the oranges have pureed into the batter–about 4 minutes.
Divide equally among pans.
Bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean (about 30 to 35 minutes).
Remove cakes to rack to cool for about 5 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
Make Icing: Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream the whipped topping, pudding mix, and pineapple until smooth.
Assembly:Put one layer on a cardboard cake round. Spread with frosting.

Repeat with remaining layer and finish frosting cake.

Ingredients:
9 medium oranges
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Method:
Squeeze enough juice from 3 oranges to measure 1 cup.
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 1-1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring but washing down any sugar crystals with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup around edges begins to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully add orange juice (caramel will harden and vigorously steam). Simmer, stirring, until caramel is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Cut peel, including all white pith, from remaining 6 oranges with a sharp paring knife and cut each orange crosswise into thirds.
Heat one third of butter (1 teaspoon) in a 12″ nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute 6 orange slices until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Saute remaining orange slices in butter in same manner, wiping out skillet between batches if necessary. Return all orange slices to skillet along with caramel sauce and cook over moderate heat until heated through, about 1 minute.

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:
Combine water and sugar and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Whisk in the cocoa powder; bring the mixture to a simmer, and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Stir the mixture and put in ice cream maker. The sorbet will be soft but ready to eat. If you want a firmer sorbet, transfer to a freezer container and freeze for at least 2 hours.