Name: Cassis Sorbet
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons light corn syrup; 3 cups black-currant nectar (preferably Looza brand; see cooks' note); 1/4 cup crème de cassis; an ice cream maker

Cassis, also known as black currant, has a deep, velvety, ripe-berry flavor, along with a slight sourness; this sorbet plays up those qualities. We use bottled nectar, but if you find fresh black currants, you can certainly make your own (see cooks' note, below).

Cooks' Notes:

·If using fresh black currants, bring 1 cup stemmed currants to a boil with 2 1/2 cups water and 2/3 cup sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Pour through a large sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids, then add crème de cassis. Chill, uncovered, until cold, 1 to 2 hours, before freezing in ice cream maker.
·We prefer Looza brand black-currant nectar, but if you can find only black-currant syrup or concentrated juice drink, which are much sweeter, omit the sugar in this recipe and use 1 cup of syrup or juice drink diluted with 2 cups water.
·Sorbet can be made 2 days ahead.

Recipe notes

Grape Dumplings

Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

Île Flottante

Originally called omelette à la neige (snow omelet) in reference to the fluffy snow-like appearance of the meringue, île flottante (floating island) has a lengthy history that dates back to the 17th century.

Luscious Banana Pudding

Layer homemade custard, ripe bananas, and vanilla wafers under clouds of whipped cream for this iconic dessert.

Homemade Whipped Cream

Fluffier, fresher, and fancier than anything from a tub or can.

Paloma Slushy

Frozen into a slushy, the classic tequila and grapefruit cocktail becomes even more refreshing.

Fufu

Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.

XO Sauce

Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.