Thursday, June 07, 2007

Herb-Scented Summer Fruit Sorbet

How else can I convince myself that we're having a balmy summer?

Yellow Fruit Sorbet

Sorbet. Of course.

Herb-Scented Summer Fruit Sorbet

1 lb canteloupe, seeded, rind removed and cut into pieces
2 white peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into pieces
1 ataulfo mango, peeled, pitted and cut into pieces
2 T vodka*
1 T lemon juice

Syrup

1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. water
1 tea bag, chamomile flowers
1 tea bag, peppermint leaves

Optional Garnish
Candied flower petals (Shown: Lilacs) or fresh edible flowers

Mix sugar and water in a small pot. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Place tea bags in syrup. Let cool to room temperature. Move syrup to the refrigerator to chill. Remove tea bags.

In a food processor, add fruit, vodka and lemon juice. Puree until smooth.
Strain mixture into a large mixing bowl. Discard pulp. Stir in syrup. Pour this
mixture into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Scoop sorbet into an airtight plastic container and freeze for a couple of hours, until sorbet has firmed up a bit. Keep up to 1 week.

To Serve

If the sorbet has been in the freezer for several hours, let container thaw on counter for 5-10 minutes. Scoop into bowls and garnish with candied petals.

*Vodka is used to keep the sorbet from freezing too hard. This ingredient can be omitted.