Pairing for mascarpone coffee sherbet

[pAitch]

I'm making a mascarpone coffee sherbet/sorbet with some of my friends custom roast coffee.

I've gone through quite a list of possible accompanyments but have not settled on one that I think is quite right. I want the coffee flavor to be the star and I want to compliment it the best I can.

So I'm looking for parings to serve with the rich coffee sherbet.

[djyee100]

Are you looking for a sauce, garnish, or drink to go with the sorbet?

So far you've got part of a tiramisu flavor combo happening. The other elements can be chocolate, rum, cognac or another liqueur. You can vary the texture of the dessert with a soft cake (as with ladyfingers in tiramisu) and/or crunchy toasted nuts. Or you can match the sorbet with a fruit. Tropical fruits like pineapple or banana go well with coffee. How about warm caramelized banana slices? The warm fruit will play on the chilled sorbet.

have fun!

[Mjx]

Pineapple was the first thing that came to my mind, too, since it's surprisingly and remarkably good with coffee. If the rest of the dessert is very rich, I'd be inclined to serve the pineapple very simply, essentially as is, or possibly soaked/drizzled with cognac.

[HungryC]

A textural contrast is nice w ice cream.....how about a cardamom spiced cookie? (Riffing on Turkish coffee flavors). Thinking of a wafer-style texture or something along the lines of langues de chat.

[SylviaLovegren]

A crisp cookie sounds good to me, too. Chocolate is the obvious choice but something nutty might be good, too. A thin, crisp tuile type with toasted almonds, maybe?

[ninagluck]

according foodpairing, coffee goes very well with following: lemongrass, ginger, pear, pistachio, bergamotte, pepper, tomatoes and even cheese...........

[pAitch]

Thanks, I've been all over the place with this.

What do you think about balsamic macerated strawberries and a pistachio or almond tuile?

Or, Keller's Savignon Blanc "braised" sous vide pineapple.

[Mjx]

Thanks, I've been all over the place with this.

What do you think about balsamic macerated strawberries and a pistachio or almond tuile?

Or, Keller's Savignon Blanc "braised" sous vide pineapple.

Depends on your balsamic; if you have one in which the balsamic and caramel-adjacent notes dominate, it could be amazing; if those notes aren't present/it's significantly acidic, it won't really mesh with the rest of the dessert.

[SylviaLovegren]

Almond rather than pistachio for the tuile, I think.

Pineapple seems more right than strawberry with the coffee flavor, but how does the wine flavor come out? I'm thinking the extra acid effect of the wine (or the balsamic, for that matter) jar against the coffee. Maybe some caramelized notes in the pineapple?

[pAitch]

In In Keller's technique the pineapple is seared in a vanilla caramel, then the white wine poaching liquid is added to the caramel. After the pineapple has taken on the caramel, it is cooled, bagged with the caramel poaching liquid then into the bath for an hour.

The event that I'm preparing for is in May so I have time to play with some different combinations. I appreciate the good input.

[jjahorn]

My first thought is a crisp cookie or tuile - or a biscotti. I'd lean towards a classic combo like almond, but raspberry might be a nice splash of flavour and colour.

[Mjx]

In In Keller's technique the pineapple is seared in a vanilla caramel, then the white wine poaching liquid is added to the caramel. After the pineapple has taken on the caramel, it is cooled, bagged with the caramel poaching liquid then into the bath for an hour.

The event that I'm preparing for is in May so I have time to play with some different combinations. I appreciate the good input.

I'd be inclined to halt things after the searing in caramel; I think the end result would have a more pleasant texture, and the [layers of] flavour would be cleaner than if the pineapple sat in liquid for an hour.

How warm is the weather in May, where you are, and what will be preceding this dessert? As you point out, the mascarpone coffee component will be pretty rich, and if the weather is hot/dinner is very ample or rich, whatever accompanies this will be more enthusiastically received if it's partnered by something like a crisp, acidic or liqueur element.

[pAitch]

I don't know the details of the event, I've just been asked to do a dessert using my friends coffee.<br />The weather is typically mild in NW AR in May, but I'm tending to think I've been over complicating this.<br />I just want to compliment the coffee flavor in the most exciting way I can.<br />

[Baselerd]

Sticking with the Tiramisu theme, you could add some Kahluha flavor in the form of either a syrup, creme anglaise, or even a sponge cake. I would lean towards a nice sponge cake, they always seem to pair well with coffee in my mind.