Rhubarb Sorbet

Rhubarb, Rhubarb- I love you, Rhubarb! I grew up eating lots of rhubarb and every Spring when it makes an appearance, I try to decide what I want to make with these precious stalks.

I've been on quite a sorbet kick lately and had been wanting to try Rhubarb sorbet for quite awhile, so that is the first thing that I did with my rhubarb.
Sorbet has got to be one of the easiest desserts to make. This one is no exception. Chop a few things, throw them in a pan, let it cool and churn away. You don't even have to churn if you don't have an ice cream maker. You can freeze and stir with a fork and then puree in the food processor. I used that method last time.

This recipe contains fresh ginger and orange zest, so there is a complexity of flavors, but you can really taste the rhubarb shining through. I did not strain my puree, because I hate to waste any of the rhubarb and I like the bite you get from a little piece of ginger sometimes.
I do wish I would have reduce the amount of sugar I added though. The finished product was just a tad bit too sweet. One of rhubarb's best qualities is that tart flavor and the sugar took too much of that away. But, that is just my opinion, of course!

Here is the recipe for Rhubarb Sorbet from Simply Recipes
* I didn't strain the ginger and rhubarb pulp out of my sorbet
* If I make this again, I will add less sugar- it was just a little bit too sweet

Meyer Lemon Sorbet

I still had some Meyer Lemons to use so I decided to try out a sorbet. I have been really interested in sorbets lately, but I am not sure why. They just taste so pure and fruity.

This sorbet is no exception. The flavor of Meyer Lemons is hard to explain. They definitely are a lemon but there are hints of mandarin or tangerine that really mellow the tartness. I find the flavor absolutely delightful. I'm wondering why it has taken me so long to discover this tasty citrus.

Sorbet is so light and just a few spoonfuls can really satisfy you. Speaking of a few spoonfuls- I think I will head to the freezer and have a few!

Here is the recipe for Meyer Lemon Sorbet from Simply Recipes

Kiwi-Lime Sorbet

This year for our St. Patrick's Day treat, we are doing something light and fruity. It also just happens to be naturally green. It is a super fast and easy Kiwi sorbet that has the addition of limeade concentrate to bump up the flavor a little bit.

This sorbet is soo easy. All you do is peel the kiwi into the bowl of a food processor or blender, add a little limeade concentrate, and a few Tablespoons of sugar. I added the sugar gradually, so that I could make sure it wasn't too sweet. I recommend adding a little sugar at a time, then blending the ingredients and tasting it, so that you get the level of sweetness you want. Freeze the puree in your ice cream maker and a few hours later you have a lovely green treat.

My kids are about to get off the bus and this is going to be a fun after school treat. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!


Here is the recipe for Kiwi-Lime Sorbet from epicurious
* I did not add all the sugar at once- I added 2 Tablespoons and pureed it in the food processor and then tasted it. I added another Tablespoon, pureed and tasted. I ended up adding 4-5 Tablespoons of sugar.

Strawberry Sorbet

When I was a child, we would go to my grandparents house on the weekends. The first thing we would do on Saturday morning was head out to the garden to pick the produce.
I remember going out before the sun was all the way up and hoping that my job would be picking strawberries. They were close to the ground, so it was easy to kneel and go through the strawberry plants and find all the red, ripe berries. It was so much better than having to go into the raspberry patch! Most of the time, we got to pick both. There isn't much better than a fresh picked strawberry. Juicy, flavorful and delicious.

Strawberries are coming into season and we have been consuming quite a few of these yummy berries. My kids can easily eat a pound or two in an afternoon, so when I buy strawberries, I know they won't last very long.

I wanted to make this simple sorbet to bring out the beautiful color and flavor of strawberries right now. It was really simple to make, just a few steps involved. I made a few substitutions, mostly because I happened to be out of lemons. Next time I would reduce the sugar by about 1/4 or 1/3 cup- this time I reduced it by a couple of tablespoons. I prefer fruit desserts to be less sweet and more about the natural flavor of the fruit.

This makes me excited about spring!

Strawberry Sorbet
Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
3/4 cup sugar (I used a little less than this)
1 tsp. kirsch (optional) (I didn't use this)
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used lime juice)
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar and kirsch, if using, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve (I just sliced my strawberries right into the food processor, so I wouldn't have to move them). Cover and let stand for 1 hour, stirring every so often.

Puree the strawberries and their liquid with the lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds if you wish.
(I skipped this step because I prefer to leave the seeds and pulp in these types of things. They don't bother me)

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, seen on Annie's Eats

Easy Melon Sorbet and Watermelon-Strawberry Slush

I love summer. The heat doesn't bother me that much and I would definitely rather be hot than cold. I know there are many people out there who completely disagree with me and I happen to be married to one of them.
Anyway, the weather here in Georgia seems to have taken a turn for the hotter, which goes hand in hand with more humidity. The past week has been pretty sticky and hot.

This type of weather means that cold refreshment is absolutely necessary.

I saw this recipe/idea for Easy Melon Sorbet and the picture looked so refreshing that I went out and bought a canteloupe, a honeydew melon and a watermelon.

It turns out, it really was that easy. Not that making sorbet it difficult, but this one doesn't even include a simple syrup, so there are only a few steps.

I cut up my melons, froze them in a ziploc bag and then pureed them, the following day. I had to add a Tablespoon or 2 of water to each batch of melon, to help smooth it out, but my melons were so sweet and tasty that I didn't add any sugar to them.
We loved this easy frozen melon treat. I actually finished it of last night and it was so delicious.

The other little drink came about when I had some watermelon cubes and we wanted a frosty/slushy drink, so I decided to combine the watermelon with some frozen strawberries I had on hand and it turned out really delicious.

Easy and refreshing!



Easy Melon Sorbet from Martha Stewart Living
Enjoy this frozen fruit dessert without a lot of bother or even an ice-cream maker. All you need are a few fresh melons and a food processor.
First, cube a melon and freeze it in a food-storage bag.
When you're ready to make sorbet, place frozen melon in the food processor, and puree.
You may need to add water to smooth. Add sugar to taste, and puree again.
Serve immediately, or store in the freezer in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Watermelon-Strawberry Slush by Mary Ann
4-5 cups watermelon cubes
2 cups frozen strawberries (or more, until slushy consistency is achieved)

Place watermelon cubes and frozen strawberries in the food processor or blender and process until blended and slushy. Pour into glasses and serve.
(I guess you could add sugar, but it tasted great without any)

Cranberry and Vanilla Bean Sorbet

This is my last recommendation for your Thanksgiving meal. I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Bon Appetit Magazine and the picture left me with no excuse not to make this sorbet.

I love cranberries. I started hoarding bags of them weeks ago, as soon as they appeared in my local Publix. I love how tart they are and their bright red color. They are so beautiful and good for you. I really don't think that cranberries get the attention that they deserve.
Anyway, I thought that the combination of cranberries and vanilla was very interesting and definitely something I would never have thought to combine.

The great thing about sorbets is that they are quick and easy to make. This one basically just combines all the ingredients and cooks them over the stove and then when the mixture has cooled you puree it in the food processor and then churn it in your ice cream maker. I reduced the sugar by about 1/4 cup.

I love what Bon Appetit had to say about this sorbet- "Here's a clean, bright dessert that makes a great finish to any meal and can be prepared days ahead. Plus, who knew that mellow vanilla would go so beautifully with tangy cranberries?"
I really think the words clean and bright are great ways to describe this sorbet. It would be the perfect ending to a Thanksgiving meal. Light and delicious. Tangy and sweet.

My girls, who are 5 and almost 3, loved, loved, loved this sorbet.

*note- the recipe says to strain out the cranberry-vanilla bean mixture before you churn it, but I opted not to do this. I like seeds and skins and they really were not that noticeable in this sorbet.
Recipe for Cranberry and Vanilla Bean Sorbet


Happy Thanksgiving!

Raspberry-Lime Sorbet and Vanilla Raspberry Ice Cream

First of all, if you haven't checked out Prudy's awesome site, Prudence Pennywise, go and do it immediately! When Prudy promises " Scandalously good food- on a budget"- she isn't joking around. I saw these two wonderful frozen treats and knew they would go perfect with the Peaches and Cream Cake. Raspberries and Peaches, they go together, right? Right. The sorbet was perfectly flavored with the lime and the vanilla was perfect, with the beautiful raspberries running throughout. I can see all kinds of possible mix-ins for this vanilla.

If you haven't used your ice cream maker yet this summer, get it out and give these a whirl! You will not be sorry- I promise!


Raspberry Sorbet from Prudence Pennywise
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice

In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. When sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and cool. Meanwhile, blend berries in the bowl of a food processor or blender until smooth. Press through a strainer to remove seeds. Combine syrup, berries, lime zest and juice in the bowl of an ice cream maker. Process according to manufacturer's direction. I did not make this in my ice cream maker. I followed the steps until it says to put it in the ice cream maker and instead I put it in a 9x13-inch metal pan and put it in the freezer for 3 or 4 hours. When it was pretty firm- I broke it into chunks and processed it in the food processor until it was creamy. Then I packed it in a container and froze it overnight.

Vanilla Raspberry Ice Cream from Prudence Pennywise
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free)
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups milk (low fat is fine) ( I used 1 1/2 cups skim and 1 1/2 cups whole)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup slightly crushed raspberries, fresh or frozen

In the bowl of the ice cream maker, combine condensed milk, cream, milk, and vanilla. Process according to manufacturer's directions. Stir in raspberries when ice cream is almost set.