Cherimoyas, or are they Custard Apples?

Despite whether you refer to them as Cherimoyas, Custard Apples, or banana-pineapple-papaya-peach-strawberries, the great subtropical fruit is local, seasonal, and delicious.

For those of you that don't know what a Cherimoya is, it is first and foremost a fruit. The fruit is "fleshy and soft, white in color, with a sherbet-like texture" and is said to combine the tastes and textures of some of the western world's most popular fruits (bananas, pineapples, papayas, peaches, and strawberries)-hence the 'third' name.

Personally, I would recommend buying a few down at the farmers market, and just eating them alone, but for those of you that are into deserts here are some great recipes for you to try with this semi-exotic fruit!


Cherimoya ice-cream (1)
500g cherimoya, peeled and seeded
2 egg whites
125ml sugar
half a lemon
2–3 Tbsp cream

Put egg whites in a bowl over a pan of hot water (or in a double boiler) and beat until fluffy, add sugar and beat again until mixture is lukewarm with a texture of lightly whipped cream. Leave to cool. Blend the cherimoya and lemon juice well, then add cream and blend again. Fold in meringue mix then pour into an ice-cream container. When half-set, beat the mix again to make sure it’s freezing evenly.
Cherimoya ice-cream (2)
2 cups cherimoya, peeled and seeded
85ml orange juice
2 eggs
375g sugar
500ml whipping cream (not whipped)
1 tsp vanilla

Blend cherimoya with orange juice, eggs and sugar until pureed. Add the whipping cream and vanilla and pour all into a 2.5 litre or larger ice-cream maker. Process until frozen.
Makes about 7 cups.
Cherimoya tropical dessert sauce
This delicious sauce goes great with desserts, ice-cream, frozen yoghurt, cakes or pancakes.
500g cherimoya flesh, seeds removed
250g small banana chunks
1 175g can crushed pineapple with juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Blend all ingredients until nearly smooth, with a few textural fruit chunks left. Best served either warm or chilled. Keeps for 4–6 hours in the fridge but doesn’t keep well frozen.
Makes about 4 cups.
Cherimoya pancakes
Make your favourite normal plain pancake and fill with mushed cherimoya and cover in maple syrup. Delicious.
Sorbet and sherbet tips
To get a smooth sorbet, blend the mix once more during freezing to break up any ice crystals and then refreeze. Sorbet melts quickly at room temperature, so serve quickly. By adding milk or yoghurt, a sorbet becomes a sherbet.

Because cherimoya have a such a luscious delicate flavour, adding another fruit or fruit juice to the mix will only dilute its deliciousness. Adding liqueur to the mix can hamper freezing, so add it as a topping (if you must) just before serving.

Cherimoya sorbet
1kg cherimoya pulp, seeds removed
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey

Puree cherimoya flesh in a blender, then add lemon juice and honey and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into ice-cube trays or into a 20cm baking dish and freeze until almost firm. Place cubes or large pieces back in the blender bowl and use the knife attachment until the mix is fluffy but not completely thawed. Pour back into ice-cube trays or individual serving dishes and freeze until firm.

To serve: Put the sorbet into serving dishes and let it soften a bit before serving, or gently break the pieces up.
Serves 4.
Cherimoya lime sorbet
300g pureed cherimoya
125ml fresh lime juice
60ml water
1 tsp honey

Puree all ingredients in a blender, pour into a bowl and freeze until solid (2–3 hours). Remove sorbet from the freezer and break into large chunks with a fork. Put the chunks back in the blender and process until smooth and creamy. Return to bowl and freeze for 30 more minutes.
To serve: Place a scoop into a sorbet glass or into bowl and enjoy.
Serves 4–6.
Cherimoya sherbet (1)
750g cherimoya pulp, seeds removed
250ml plain low-fat yoghurt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey

Puree cherimoya flesh in a blender, then add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into ice-cube trays or into a 20cm baking dish and freeze until almost firm. Place cubes or large pieces back in the blender bowl and use the knife attachment until the mix is fluffy but not completely thawed. Pour back into ice-cube trays or serving dishes and freeze until firm.

To serve: Put the sherbet into serving dishes and let it soften a bit before serving, or gently break the pieces up.
Serves 4.
Cherimoya sherbet (2)
2 eggs, separated
750g cups cherimoya, seeded and pureed
1/8 teaspoon salt
500g sugar
60ml orange juice
1 litre buttermilk (low-fat or whole)

Beat the yolks, salt and 125g of sugar in a bowl until light and lemon-coloured. Gradually add cherimoya, then add 250g of sugar and beat until dissolved, then blend in buttermilk. In another bowl (at least 3 litre size), beat egg whites until soft peaks form then add remaining 125g sugar and beat until firm, but not dry. Gradually fold buttermilk mixture into whites, then pour into a 4.5 litre or larger ice cream maker. Process until frozen.
Makes 2.75 litres sherbet.
Cherimoya waffles
2 cherimoya, peeled and cubed
3 eggs
450g all-purpose flour
125ml vegetable oil
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
375ml milk

Separate eggs. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until light yellow, then add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and oil, followed by the milk and cherimoya, and mix until moist. In a small bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. Fold into waffle mixture. Pour batter into a waffle iron on medium-high and cook until golden brown. Top with whipped cream, cherimoya and maple syrup.
Cherimoya pie
1 unbaked 25cm deep-dish pie shell
500g cherimoya (peeled, seeded and diced)
3 eggs (separated)
250ml evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 230ºC. Bake pie shell for 5 minutes and set aside. Reduce heat to 190ºC. Puree cherimoya in blender until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended, then set aside. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold into the cherimoya mix until no streaks of white remain (don’t stir). Pour filling into the pie shell and bake for 35–45 minutes or until the filling sets and a knife pushed into the filling comes out clean. Cool in fridge. Serve wedges topped with cream.
Caramelised cherimoya
1 cherimoya

Cut the cherimoya in half lengthways and put face down in a greased baking dish. Bake at 200ºC until the juices begin to caramelise and a delicious aroma fills your house (about 1 hour). The flavour is something like a ginger custard.
Cherimoya bavaroise (with chocolate sauce)
2 good size cherimoya
1 tsp vanilla
1 large can evaporated milk (frozen)
250g sugar
1 envelope gelatin (without flavour) dissolved in 125ml of boiling water. Mash the cherimoya and add sugar.

Beat the evaporated milk until it turns double in volume and looks creamy. Add the cherimoya, gelatin and vanilla, then pour into a greased baking dish and refrigerate until it becomes firm. Remove from the baking dish and serve with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate sauce
1 large can condensed milk
1 large can evaporated milk
4 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix the milks and cocoa in a pot, and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until it gets slightly thick. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
Cherimoya orange parfait
250ml whipping cream
250g sour cream
60g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
125g pureed cherimoya
2 tsp grated orange peel
500g cherimoya chunks
375g cups orange sections
mint leaves

Combine the creams in a deep bowl and refrigerate with beaters until well chilled. Beat creams until frothy and gradually add sugar, vanilla, juices and salt, then beat until quite stiff. Blend in cherimoya puree and 1 tsp orange peel. Put half the cherimoya chunks in the bottom of 4–6 parfait glasses. Spoon in a layer of cream, all the orange sections, a second layer of cream and the remaining cherimoya. Top with a dollop of cream and garnish with the remaining orange peel and mint leaves.
Serves 4–6.