Fresh Raspberry Sherbet

A hand-crank-era fruit ice thickened with cornstarch and egg rather than cream. The recipe leans on a cross-reference, so the assembly has to be reconstructed from the standard sherbet method of the period.

• The method it points toThe Orange Sherbet recipe is not reproduced here, so the assembly has to be inferred. The usual sequence for a cornstarch-thickened sherbet of this kind is: boil the water with the sugar, thicken with the cornstarch slaked in a little cold water, cook until clear, then stir in the beaten egg and cook a moment longer. Cool the base completely before adding the fruit pulp, or the raspberry flavour and colour suffer.
• Cook the egg into the baseBring the thickened base to 160F while stirring, then strain it. That sets the egg for safety and catches any strands that have curdled against the pan bottom.
• How much fruit1 1/2 cups of seedless pulp takes roughly 1 1/2 lb of raspberries, or about two 12-oz containers. A nylon sieve and a flexible spatula work better than the wire strainer of the period; a food mill with the fine plate is faster still. Frozen berries, thawed, sieve very easily.
• 7/8 cup brown sugarThat is 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons, lightly packed, about 6 oz. Light brown sugar suits raspberries; dark brown will read as molasses over the fruit. Sugar is what keeps the mixture scoopable, so do not cut it.
• Cornstarch as the stabiliserThe 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch stands in for cream and keeps ice crystals small. Whisk it into cold water before it meets the hot syrup, and simmer a full minute so it loses its raw taste.
• FreezingIn an ice cream machine, chill the finished mixture to refrigerator temperature first, then churn 20-25 minutes. Without a machine, freeze in a shallow pan and beat it smooth with a fork or a processor two or three times as it sets.
• YieldMakes roughly a quart, four to six servings. Best within a day or two; the cornstarch base firms up hard after that and needs 15 minutes on the counter.