Mar 18, 2011

Fruttini

Don't you love these?

They're called fruttini, and they're a clever little dessert. The concept is easy, fruit pulp gets scooped out, made into sherbet or gelato, which then returns back in the empty fruit peel, in the form of delicious, chilled filling!

The one portrayed above is a typical citrus display of fruttini, but the seasonal selection is virtually boundless. I've seen fresh frozen and gelato-filled pears, strawberries, whole pineapples, melons, figs, grapes, apricots, bananas, papayas, a huge watermelon at a party, and then chestnuts, walnuts... and even fennel, radishes and onions!

The futtini-mania has picked up momentum over the years, and I'm sure they've become popular overseas too. There's an artisan gelateria, Matteo Napoli (fruttini's presumed inventor) that sells them online–but ships to Italy and Europe only.

There are plenty of sherbet recipes on the web, I found this one particularly easy, that's of course if you own an ice cream maker. I don't, so what I do for "homemade" fruttini is even better.

I purchase the best quality artisan gelato I can find in flavors corresponding to what fruits I have in the house. I then scoop out the pulp from my fresh fruits and use it for fruit salads or marmalades. All I have to do then is simply fill the emptied fruits with the purchased gelato. It's easier to do with fruits that have a thicker rind, and I'm not trying this trick with kiwi fruits ever again.

I store the self-assembled homemade fruttini in the freezer and take them out 10 minutes before serving.

Furba, eh?
assorted fruttini

21 comments:

  1. uhmm voglia di fruttini fatti in casa!!!

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  2. Colores-
    con questo caldo ci stanno proprio bene!

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  3. Such a great idea...especially with summer and BBQ season right around the corner!!

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  4. Lisa-
    Yes! And since they keep well in sealed freezer bags, good for off-season fruit cravings!

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  5. troppo buoni i fruttini!!!
    complimenti per il blog, mi piace moltissimo!
    a presto!

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  6. lamelannurca-
    Grazie! Sono contenta che ti piaccia. A presto!!

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  7. mmm...never seen these but i love gellato...and a beautiful concept in presentation of them...

    our gellato shop went out of businesss...pout

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  8. They are so much fun in the summer (or when you want the illusion of summer). Sometimes they beauty outweghs flavour.
    great pictures, as always

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  9. Brian~
    Oh no, that's a tragedy! You absolutely have to find a replacement... even if that means driving out of the state!! ;)

    Joshua~
    You know what the trick is to revive flavor and obtain humanly edible texture? Brief thawing. And wholesome ingredients. Sometimes restaurants tend to skimp...

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  10. Very cool idea, especially good for the upcoming spring and summer months

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  11. Oh I have to do this (kiwi?). And I see you've done it with berries! So enticing. (Hmmm, kiwi? Really?) So pretty. So spring. Almost healthy...

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  12. Sarah~
    Yes, can't wait! It's a welcome twist on gelato too.

    Claudia~
    If kiwi gelato is properly made, it actually does justice to the otherwise nd flavor of the fruit. But to carve out the fuzzy, delicate skin left me with hairy gelato and an irregularly cracked outer shell. The one you see pictured above was store-bought... shh.

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  13. these are pretty adorable, and very impressive. So fresh!

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  14. Diana~
    I want to try with coconut next, but maybe I should buy already scooped out shells... can you see me with the old drill, trying to de-pulp those babies?!

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  15. Yes, very clever of you! This presentation of gelato is so colorful and ingenious. Since I do have an ice-cream maker I can invest a few hours and get a few flavors done ahead.

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  16. Rosaria~
    Great! Then follow the recipe I linked to in the text, it's easy and guaranteed for table-side success.

    Now I'm thinking taking this recipe to another level, mismatching flavor and container: like vanilla/cinnamon apples, chocolate-filled strawberries, vodka lemonade citrus... This is so much fun!

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  17. oh gosh, these are gorgeous and I can almost taste them! ummmm

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  18. me li ricordo!!! fantastici, deliziosi e belli.

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  19. hi elenora. yummmy. this look same to www.theartisancooperative.com in UK

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  20. Roberta~
    Yes, they are the same thing, but these are way cheaper than the £60 ones! ;)

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