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Cool Off with Sorbet
• by Sharon Arnot
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If your local custard shop or ice cream stand has become a regular hangout, or if the cashier there knows your regular order of an Oreo and peanut butter concrete, then maybe it’s time to get on a sorbet kick. It’s much healthier; sorbet is essentially a water ice with high fruit content. It is a fat-free treat and it’s dairy free so those who are lactose intolerant can enjoy sorbet as well.
The word “sorbet” is French and comes from the Italian “sorbetto” which comes from the Turkish word “sherbet”, which means “fresh drink”. Sorbet is thought to pre-date ice cream by at least one thousand years. One of the first mentions of sorbet in history is of Nero the Roman Emperor, who, during the first century A.D., had runners along the Appian way pass buckets of snow hand over hand from the mountains to his banquet hall where it was then mixed with honey and wine. Then, at the end of the 13th century, Marco polo returned from the Far East with recipes of concoctions made from snow, juice and fruit pulp. It is also believed that the Italian, Catherine de’ Medici, after her marriage in 1533 to the Duke of Orleans (who later became Henry II), brought sorbetto to France. At first, sorbet was only enjoyed by the wealthy, but by the end of the 17th century, sorbet was all over Paris and had spread to England and all over Europe where it became popular among commoners.
Many people think of sorbet not as a refreshing dessert, but for its ability to cleanse the palate. Nineteenth-century French food icon Auguste Escoffier suggested that two savory main courses should be separated by a light, cool, flavorful taste sensation. In other words, a small dish of lemon sorbet, following an appetizer of escargot, will cleanse the palate of the strong garlic and allow the diner to enjoy the subtle flavors of a crab soufflé.
Sorbet flavors range from simple and ordinary, such as lemon or lime, to extraordinary, such as Bloody Mary sorbet, chocolate, ginger-cinnamon, Aquavit Pepper, truffle, and cucumber to name a few. Making sorbet at home is extremely easy using an electric ice cream maker or even just your freezer. There are endless recipes using an endless array of ingredients. Nothing is too outrageous. I’ve included some typical recipes and also some more distinctive recipes that will wake up your senses. So take a break from the custard and ice cream this summer and enjoy a refreshing sorbet.
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Key Lime Lemon Sorbet
Ingredients:
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 1 1/4 cups water
* 1 cup lemon juice
* 3/4 cup key lime juice
Method:
Mix water and sugar in a pan and bring to boil. Set aside to cool. Stir in lemon and lime juice and chill in ice cream machine. Serves 1.
Recipe from www.hungrymonster.com
Peach Sorbet
Ingredients:
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 8 small peaches
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 1 tablespoon Marsala or peach brandy (optional)
Method:
Make syrup by combining the water and sugar in a non-corrosive pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Puree the peaches in a food processor or blender to yield about 1 cup. Combine syrup, peaches, lemon juice and Marsala. Freeze according to the instructions for making Lemon Sorbet. Serve over fresh raspberries or blackberries. Serves 6.
Recipe from www.recipesource.com
White Chocolate Chocolate Chip Sorbet
Ingredients:
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 6 ounces white chocolate
* 1 teaspoon Crème de Cassis
* 1/4 cup chocolate chips or grated semi-sweet chocolate
Method:
Boil water and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes. Move to double boiler; add white chocolate and melt. Cool. Add Crème de Cassis and vanilla. Freeze in ice cream maker. Fold in chips. Freeze again. Serves 1.
Recipe from www.recipesource.com
Granny Smith Apple Sorbet
Ingredients:
* 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
* 2/3 cup lemon juice, lime juice, or a combination of both
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/3 cup Calvados or applejack
Method:
Slice 5 of the apples and puree in a food blender or food processor. Chop the sixth apple finely. Combine all ingredients and whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a one and one-half quart (or larger) electric or hand-operated ice cream maker. Process until firm following manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or freeze for later use. Serves 6.
Recipe from the cookbook “Apples” by Robert Berkley
Fresh Lime-Basil Sorbet
Ingredients:
* 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
* 1 cup water
* 1 cup simple sugar syrup (1 cup sugar plus 1 cup water, boiled then cooled)
* 12 whole basil leaves
* 1 egg white (optional)
Method:
Combine all ingredients into a freezer-friendly container and freeze 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer and allow to soften a little. Put chunks of frozen mixture into a food processor and process until all crystals have disappeared and mixture is smooth. Re-pack into container and keep frozen until needed. This will keep for up to 2 months. If you prefer a lighter, less icy sorbet, add 1 egg white during processing.
Recipe from Lakewinds Country Manor Bed and Breakfast, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Fresh Ginger Sorbet
Ingredients:
* 2 cups water-preferably filtered or spring
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 lemons (both juice and zest required)
* 3 tablespoons peeled fresh gingerroot, very finely chopped
Method:
In a non-reactive saucepan, combine water and sugar, bringing to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. As this syrup simmers, zest one of the lemons, and squeeze the juice from both, picking out any seeds but leaving bits of pulp. Add lemon zest, and juice, plus ginger, to syrup and let steep until cool. Freeze, according to the directions of your ice cream machine.
Recipe from www.hungrymonster.com
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