Even if you don’t know Fany Gerson by name, you most likely know her food.
As the mastermind behind both Dough and La Newyorkina, she’s been satisfying New Yorkers’ sweet tooths one giant doughnut and refreshing paleta at a time.
She’s also willing to share her secrets. This month marks the release of Gerson’s third book, “Mexican Ice Cream: Beloved Recipes and Stories” ($22). In it, the Mexico City native offers up 60 ice cream and frozen treat creations based on Mexican traditions and ingredients, from red prickly pear ice cream to Oaxacan-style lime sorbet. (For nieves de garrafa, a traditional Mexican ice cream that’s hand-paddled in a wooden bucket, you might want to just leave that to her new La Newyorkina shop in Greenwich Village.)
For a sweet that’s prime for summer, Gerson shares her recipe for an avocado-passion fruit sorbet, inspired by a paleta, or ice cream pop, she had in Morelia, the capitol of Michoacan — a big avocado exporter.
“The acidity of passion fruit cuts through the richness of avocado, while still complementing its flavor in a very unexpected way,” Gerson writes in the cookbook.
Pro tip: Gerson recommends looking for the frozen passion fruit puree used in this recipe in Latin American markets and specialty grocery stores.
Avocado-passion fruit sorbet
Makes about 1 quart
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen passion fruit puree
3⁄4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 small ripe avocados
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
In a small saucepan, combine the passion fruit puree and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Cut the avocados in half lengthwise. Remove the pits and scoop the flesh into a blender or food processor. Add the cooled passion fruit mixture and the salt and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar or bowl as needed. Add the lime juice and process just until combined. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
Freeze and churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For a soft consistency, serve the sorbet right away; for a firmer consistency, transfer it to a container, cover, and allow to harden in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours.
