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8.10.2008

A Work In Progress...Pandan Sorbet and Pandantini





I got to playing around this weekend. While rummaging through my pantry I found a can of Pandan Leaves Extract I had purchased a while ago for a cake. It costs around 86 cents. In this heat I wasn't up to cake so I thought of a sorbet. Unfortunately my freezer bowl for the ice cream maker wasn't ready. I immediately put it in the freezer for some hours and started on the base to refrigerate in the interim. Basically I made simple syrup which I later combined with some Cream of Coconut, Coconut extract, and a bit of Matcha powder. The color was an algae green color, but the taste was good. I cranked it up in the ice cream maker but I didn't see it starting to freeze at all. So back in bowl over night with and occasional check and stir. In the morning it was frozen in that sugary slushy sort of way. Not as solid as I wanted but sorbet texture. I cranked it in the freezer bowl again (which I put back in overnight) and the color turned from algae green to frothy pale green. The aerating increased the volume by a third at least. Back in the freezer it went. As I tried to photograph it, it melted fast. But the taste was pretty good. Maybe I will cut back on the sugar to get a more clear taste. I also thought it would make a great base for a frozen cocktail. So I added a shot of vodka, and more ice with a few scoops of sorbet to the blender. What I got was Pandantini. Both the sorbet and the drink would be good chillers to relax in the heat. I cant find my recipe book with sorbets for the ice cream maker, so I'm trying to see what may I have missed to not get the consistency more firm. Sorbets are delicate. I’m wondering if it was the extract. Good thing I didn’t add rum to the original base as planned.
Pandan Sorbet
1(14 fl oz) can Pandan Leaves Extract
2 2/3 cups sugar
3 cups water
2/3 cup Cream of Coconut (The milky creamy type in a can used as a base for Pina Coladas/non alcoholic)
1 teaspoon Coconut Extract
1 teaspoon Matcha Powder
Boil water and sugar together to form a simple syrup( approx 10 min). Add Pandan Leaves extract, Cream of Cococnut, coconut extract, and matcha. Whisk until incorporated. Refrigerate until cool. Place in a bowl and freeze. Once it starts to freeze stir occasionally to mix. Freeze several hours until frozen. Place in a frozen freezer bowl from you ice cream maker. Churn to aerate and until color changes to a paler frothy color of green.

So I'm sending these creations to two events. First The lovely Dhanggit is celebrating her baby's 1st birthday and she wants some Perfect Party Dishes.I'm sure she can serve up both .(Drinks just for the grown ups!)

And then the Pandantini is going over to Diary of a Fantatic Foodie. She is having a Front Porch Cocktail event.

Party On everyone!

36 comments:

  1. Great idea...instead of cake, make it's best friend...ice cream!

    http://areyoutheregod.blog.com/

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  2. Wow, that sorbet is original! It must taste might good! I'm addicted to Pandan...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. excellent idea, truly innovative. I never thought pandan will go well with vodka :) well done

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  4. I have great souvenirs of eating pandan flavored sweets when I was a kid! What a great entry you prepared for my baby's bday party!! Thanks Glamah I love love it!! And that vodka with pandan sounds really awesome!

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  5. The sorbet looks lovely.. Must be really delicious!!

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  6. Fascinating - I have never heard of, nor seen Pandan leaves - what do they taste of? What are they mostly used for?

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  7. I keep trying to use the extract as well. I like this combination!
    Maybe the alcohol (Creme de Coconut is a liqeuer right?or is it cream of coconut, the firm coconut block?) in the sorbet worked against it firming?

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  8. Cool - I'd never even heard of pandan before - yet now I know I must score some immediately!!

    (Although Pandantini sounds like a cocktail made of pandas ;)

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  9. What interesting flavours. Never thought to include pandan with vodka - gorgeous!

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  10. Thanks everyone. Yes vodka pairs well with sweetned panadan.
    Linda- I used the type in a can , non alcoholic used for Pina Coladas. It resembles condensed milk.
    Caked Crusdaer- I have only used the essence and not the real leaves. I hear its used like vanilla in Asia and you see it in cakes a lot as well as savory dishes. It blends well with coconut. The taste reminds me of a nutty , almost almond like taste. Very fragrant.Once you start playing with it you want to find ways to use it.

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  11. Wow! You are so creative! I actually have a box of pandan chiffon cake mix stashed away somewhere that I have yet to make. Not as original as your pandantini and pandan sorbet though! ;)

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  12. I never heard of pandan before, but it looks good, both sorbet & drink. Well done!

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  13. What a beautiful looking sorbet pandan makes. They both look scrumptious! :)

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  14. This sounds really great! I don't know what pandan leaves taste like, but it's paired with coconut and matcha so it must be good!

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  15. I'd never heard of pandan before either but I'll be looking for it next time I'm in an Asian market...

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  16. I've never had pandan before, but it sounds so interesting!!

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  17. I have never tried Pandan, but I hear it is the new Matcha! LOL! :)

    I love what you did with it - both are so creative!

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  18. These looked gorgeous, Courtney. It was interesting reading the comments and finding out more about Pandan leaves. I love learning anything new.

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  19. This is pretty cool. I like your persistence -- something I'm not always that great at but am working on. The end product looks beautiful and sounds really refreshing right now. I'll have to Google pandan leaves, since I've never heard of them before.

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  20. I always see those little bottles of pandan extract, but I just haven't picked one up yet. What does it taste like?

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  21. Like many of the others, I've never heard of pandan before this post. Haven't got a clue what it tastes like, but it sure looks great in that martini glass! What a great idea - martinis and sorbet. Who needs dinner?

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  22. never heard of pandan either - like many other commenters. what's it taste like? same question as heather.

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  23. Umm..neccessity is the mother of invention? Great save!

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  24. yum, yum, yum. (though I think one pandantini and I would think I was a panda)

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  25. I like that you turned this into a drink...I would have done the same thing.

    I've never used pandan before. I wasn't even sure what it was. Interesting stuff.

    I always forget to put the ice cream bowl/bucket thing in the freezer. I hate that!

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  26. You are so creative! I love your explorations :)
    xo

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  27. What a wonderfully original and completely brilliant idea. Even if it didn't work this time you should keep working on it. It's just fantastic! Bravo!!!

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  28. Ok, I have to admit, I have no idea what this is, is it like green tea? What does it taste like? I'm always learning some new ingredient, or some exotic spice from you!! What is it teacher??

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  29. This sounds lovely! Yes, we made it here, have found a place, and are moving in today. Hooray!

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  30. I'm still confused. I don't know what pandan is. I'll look it up, but I'm sure if you used it, it must be something extic and special. It's pronounced PAN-DAN? Just like it's spelled? I need to know what to ask for in the grocery.

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  31. I've never had pandan before so I have no idea of the flavour but I do like the idea of the pandantini :)

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  32. I have never heard of these leaves before and its always great to learn new things. Love the Sorbet :)

    Rosie x

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  33. I made pandan bread some time back..didn't turn out swell, but i think I appreciate the flavor now:) so I think this sorbet is gonna be good!

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  34. Wow! Awesome! Great job!

    Paz

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  35. I've never heard of pandan leaves extract - always good to learn somethign new ;-) And I love how you changed your idea from cake to ice cream to match the weather. We are definitely having cake weather this side of the Atlantic :(

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