Strawberry and Rose Sorbet Recipe: Freshness and Love
Last month, I set out to create a unique dessert for Valentine's Day, inspired by the ingredients that have symbolized love throughout history. After a little research, I found four elements that perfectly capture that romantic feeling: strawberries, chocolate, violets, and roses. With them, the recipe I'm sharing with you today was born!
The fresh and easy recipe I bring you today is ideal for Valentine’s Day. You can surprise your partner or turn it into a fun plan to cook together—or simply treat yourself! The important thing is to enjoy both the process and the delicious result.
This sweet dish combines three elements. The first is a delicious, creamy sorbet made with the season's first strawberries and delicate red rose petals.
Next, I melted chocolate and combined it with pistachios and rose petals to create a crunchy chocolate shell around the sorbet. It was easy to make, yet the result was surprisingly delightful.
The third element is a tribute to childhood: a cotton candy made with traditional violet candies from my hometown, Madrid. Its silky violet flavour and surprising texture envelop this romantic dessert, evoking the unmistakable taste of childhood memories.
Las Violetas
They are peculiar candies that have been made since 1919 always using natural violets in their elaboration, and thanks to their unmistakable flavour and its great fame among the royalty of the twentieth century, have become an icon of the Spanish capital.
Cotton Candy Maker
Having a cotton candy maker at home can be challenging, so consider using natural violet petals instead of violet cotton candy. However, if you can purchase a machine, making cotton candy is quite enjoyable, and they typically range from 20 to 50 dollars or euros.
Ready to fall in love while making it? Let's get to work!
Strawberry and Rose Sorbet, Chocolate Pistachio Crunchy and Violet Cotton Candy Recipe
- Preparation time 4 hours (including freezing time)
- Cooking time 15 min
- Total time 4 h
Ingredients (for 4-6 servings)
For the sorbet
- 700 g / 1,54 lb / 24,7 oz fresh strawberries
- Juice of one lime
- A few mint leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon of edible rose water (adjust to taste, available in speciality stores)
- 10 rose petals
For the syrup
- 100 g / 0,22 lb / 3,5 oz of sugar (adjust according to the sweetness of the strawberries or use other sweeteners such as agave syrup or honey).
- 200 ml / 3/4 cup / 6,76 oz of water
- One star anise
- 20 rose petals
For the Chocolate Crunchy
- 200 g / 0,4 lb / 7 oz of dark or milk chocolate (quality chocolate, with at least 60% cocoa for dark chocolate)
- 50 g / 0,11 lb / 1,76 oz pistachio nuts (shelled, preferably unsalted)
- 4 rose petals
- 1 teaspoon of virgin olive oil (optional, for an additional shine to the chocolate)
For the cotton candy
- 75 g / 0,17 lb / 2,65 oz violet candies
- 35 g / 1,23 oz of sugar
Method
For the strawberry and red rose sorbet
- Mix the sugar, star anis, rose petals, and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely, forming a light syrup. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely. Once it is cool and has rested for 30 minutes, filter it and save it for the next step.
- In a blender or food processor, add the strawberries with the cooled syrup, and the rose water. Stir in the lime juice. Blend everything for a minute and strain the juice to remove the seeds (optional).
- Pour the mixture into a bowl. Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container. If you do not have an ice cream maker, place the container in the freezer and stir every 30-45 minutes with a fork for 3-4 hours. This will prevent large crystals from forming and give a smooth texture. What I did was once it was completely frozen and before serving it, I put it through the food processor and it was a super silky texture.
For the chocolate crisp
- Prepare the nuts. Lightly toast the pistachios in a skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. This will enhance their flavour. Chop and let them cool completely before using.
- Melt the chocolate in a Bain Marie. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. After a couple of minutes stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
- You can melt it also in the microwave: Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 3-8-second intervals, stirring between each one to prevent burning. Use a bit of extra virgin olive oil, and add it to the melted chocolate to give it a shiny finish.
- Line a tray with baking paper or a silicone mat, then pour the melted chocolate over the tray and spread it with a spatula in a thin layer (3-5 mm thick). Sprinkle evenly with the roasted and crushed pistachios and the bits of rose petals. Press lightly so that they adhere well.
- Place the tray in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is completely hardened. Once solidified, remove the chocolate from the tray and break it into irregular pieces with your hands or a knife.
For the cotton candy
- Crush the candies in the food processor, and avoid leaving the sugar too fine. It should have a grain texture similar to regular sugar. Then mix it with the 35 g of sugar.
- Preheat the machine, and pour the contents into the central reservoir. When you see the caramel threads start to form, pick it up with a wooden stick, turning it around so that it rolls up and forms the cotton wool.
Serving the sorbet
- Prepare a spoon in hot water. Take the spoon out of the water, dry it, and with a pendulum and rotating movement try to get a nice quenelle. You can visit my Instagram to see the video where I made the quenelle.
- Then put some violet cotton and finish it with a rose petal and the chocolate tile broken into pieces.
I hope this recipe has awakened your romantic and creative side. Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to experiment in the kitchen and surprise those you love the most (or yourself!). This dessert is not only a tribute to love, but also to the little details that make every bite memorable.
If you dare to prepare it, don't hesitate to share the result with me, I'd love to see your creations! Find more recipes, tips and curiosities in my social networks or the link to the article about the symbolism of the ingredients.
Have a Valentine's Day full of love and unforgettable flavours! ❤️
Interesting links:
- Flavours of Love: 4 Historical Ingredients for Valentine´s Day
- How to make Strawberries with Chocolate
- Violet Candies website
- Find a Cotton Candy Maker in Amazon (Spain and USA)