Recipe: Watermelon Bombe, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Watermelon Sorbet for Connie, IA

Here is Martha Stewart's recipe, Connie.

WATERMELON BOMBE
Source: Martha Stewart
Servings: 12

For the mold, choose a deep metal mixing bowl with a nice rounded dome shape.

2 pints pistachio ice cream
1 pint homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, or store-bought (below)
1 quart homemade Watermelon Sorbet, or store-bought(below)
4 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers , broken into 1/4-inch pieces
1 six-inch-round layer Vanilla Sponge Cake

Line a 3-quart metal mixing bowl with plastic wrap, and leave the edges overhanging. Place lined bowl in freezer for 10 minutes; this will be the mold. Chill the bowl of an electric mixer as well.

Place pistachio ice cream in the chilled mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment of the mixer, beat on low speed until ice cream is spreadable, about 30 seconds. Remove chilled mold from freezer. Using a rubber spatula, coat inside of mold with all the pistachio ice cream, making a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Return mold and clean mixer bowl to the freezer for 30 minutes.

Place vanilla ice cream in chilled mixer bowl. Beat on low speed until spreadable, about 30 seconds.

Remove mold from freezer. Using the rubber spatula, coat pistachio layer with the vanilla ice cream, making a 1/4-inch-thick layer. Return mold and clean mixer bowl to freezer for 30 minutes.

Place sorbet in chilled mixer bowl. Beat on low speed until sorbet has softened, about 1 minute. Fold in wafer pieces.

Remove mold from freezer. Pack sorbet into center, making an even layer that comes to 1/3 inch below the top of the ice cream layer. Cover sorbet portion with sponge cake; trim cake if necessary. Return mold to freezer until completely hardened.

TO SERVE:
Place a serving plate upside down on top of the mold. Holding plate against mold, invert both. Place a hot wet kitchen towel over the mold. Remove the metal bowl. Immediately before serving, remove the plastic wrap.

---

VANILLA ICE CREAM
Makes 1 1/2 quarts

2 vanilla beans
2 cups milk
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups very cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Split vanilla beans lengthwise with a sharp paring knife. Gently scrape out all the seeds. Place vanilla-bean scrapings and pods in a medium saucepan with milk. Scald the mixture, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 30 minutes.

Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, whisk together in a medium bowl.

Return milk to stove, and bring just to a simmer. Using a measuring cup or ladle, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot-milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture, whisking constantly on low speed until blended. Keep adding milk mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until it has all been added. Whisk until combined. Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. The custard should retain a line drawn across the back of the spoon with your finger.

Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Remove pan from heat, and immediately stir in chilled cream to stop the custard from cooking. Pour through a mesh sieve into a medium bowl set in the ice bath, and stir occasionally until cooled. (Discard vanilla-bean pod and strained seeds.) Stir vanilla extract into cooled custard. Cover bowl, and transfer to refrigerator until chilled, at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Pour custard into an ice-cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Churn until the ice cream is just set, but not hard. Transfer soft ice cream to an airtight plastic container; freeze at least 4 hours and up to 1 week.

---

WATERMELON SORBET
Makes 1 quart

Choose the ripest watermelon available.

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white cr me de menthe or Campari(optional)
3 cups ripe watermelon flesh

Place sugar and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When sugar has dissolved, remove pan from heat, and stir in cr me de menthe, if using. Chill the syrup.

Remove seeds from watermelon flesh. Place flesh in the bowl of a food processor; process until liquefied, about 2 minutes. Add pur e to chilled syrup; stir to combine.

Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Store, frozen, in an airtight container.