Quest for good homemade fromage blanc sorbet

One of the first fine-dining experiences we had together was dessert at Nob Hill restaurant in the MGM Grand here in Las Vegas.  It was a tarte tatin with fromage blanc sorbet.  I thought it was intriguing and tasty and a textural treat, so creamy and smooth. And, being a cheese lover, I loved the transformation of cheese into a frozen dessert.  And it goes best with the kinds of desert I like best: fruits from berries, to apples, to stone fruit, to mangos and tropical fruit.

Ever since that first taste, I've wanted to make it at home.  Problem #1 is finding fromage blanc, and that's not widely available.  But recently, just before Mike and Lauren visited, I found it in Whole Foods.  I picked some up, and tackled Problem #2: a recipe.  I gave it a try using a recipe that looked familiar (i.e., it was a traditional sorbet recipe using simple syrup).  It had good enough flavor, and we liked it ok, but its texture was really lacking.  So I'm still on a quest.

These are two more recipes I plan to try in that quest.  Both of them abandon the simple syrup method I haven't made them yet, so I can't comment on them.  If you try them, please send feedback.  We'll update this post when we experiment.

Fromage blanc (with egg white)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large egg whites
  
• ⅔ cup sugar
  
• 3 cups fromage blanc
  

DIRECTIONS

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with a whisk, or in a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Slowly add the sugar and beat at high speed until the egg whites hold stiff, shiny peaks, about 4 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk the fromage blanc until smooth. Fold in the egg whites. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Fromage blanc (New York Times version)

INGREDIENTS

• 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
  
• Pinch powdered vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups fromage blanc
  

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, combine 5 tablespoons water, the sugar and vanilla (if using extract, add after cooking) and cook over medium-high heat until syrupy. Let cool completely.

Put the fromage blanc in a bowl and add the chilled syrup. Mix well. Churn in an ice-cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions.