Peach and raspberry frozen meringue
I haven’t been an avid ice-cream maker this summer – all the steps for making the curd, all the chilling and mixing and chilling again, then straining and chilling – it can be exhausting, albeit gratifying. So I’m looking for simpler ways to get the indulgence of ice cream, but without the work.
A recent Martha Stewart recipe for peach melba spoom caught my attention. What the heck is a spoom? Essentially, it is a cross between a sorbet and a frozen meringue. Made with NO CREAM, and just two egg whites instead of egg, it is light and airy and full of tart fruity flavor. Berries and peaches are beautiful right now, but you can make this with any fruit, really.
Martha’s Peach Melba Spoom
- 1/2 c. water
- 1/2 c. plus 1/3 c. sugar
- 5 peaches, halved, pitted
- 12 oz. raspberries
- 2 large egg whites
Bring water and 1/2 c. sugar to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool in fridge. Now you have simple syrup!
Slice and puree three peaches with half the raspberries and 1/4 c. chilled simple syrup – you can do this in a food processor or blender. Add more syrup to taste (I used almost all of it). Pass mixture through fine sieve and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (a rubber spatula will help force the liquid out).
Place egg whites and remaining 1/3 c. sugar in heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a hand-held mixer, whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot to the touch, 2 min. Remove from heat. Whisk at high speed now until glossy peaks form, about 5 min.
Gently fold fruit puree into whites. Freeze in an ice cream mixer according to manufacturer’s instructions (for my Cuisinart, it took about 25 min. to get thick enough). Transfer to a container, seal and freeze for at least an hour.
To serve, layer sliced peaches and raspberries with the spoom in pretty glasses.
Each person I serve this to remarks on how surprisingly delicious it is. Strongly flavored with fruit, tart-yet-sweet and with an airy texture. And serving it with the fresh fruit is an added texture that works really well.
This is a wonderful dessert if you are serving someone who can’t eat a lot of dairy (you know who you are!). Guaranteed success.
Enjoy, friends! xoxo
Seasoned to Taste 
Looks delicious! If only I had room in my freezer…
I have to tell you, our local gourmet ice cream shop, Molly Moon’s, has been serving a vegan “ice cream” that is made with coconut milk! I had some of the Strawberry flavor and it was subtle and refreshing. I doubt they added any sugar at all. The coconut milk is an interesting texture when cold. Ever had crumbly ice cream? Like…coffee cake crumbles? But it’s good. Might be great to have after a very creamy or soupy entree…or with more of those pureed peaches.
YUM, MLE! I’ll have to try it next time I’m in Seattle. 🙂