With the warm season officially upon us, I no longer have to justify using an ice cream maker in the wintertime. Not that I care, but I did get some peanut gallery style comments about making iced desserts when it’s 37 degrees out. Let’s just shout “Welcome, Summer!,” shall we?
The inspiration for this sorbet came from a friend who gave me the rough ingredients and measurements. I combined that information with a seasoned sweet tooth, and the end result was just the right amount of sweet, tart, creamy and refreshing. Take note– this sorbet is excellent alone, but a spoonful or two of raspberry coulis doesn’t hurt.
Materials (makes approximately 1.5 quarts)
For the sorbet:
4 cups full-fat buttermilk
1.5 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
1 Tbsp vodka (I used vanilla Stoli), optional
For the raspberry coulis: (makes about 1 cup)
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp water
8 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed (fresh fruit can be used, but the amount would be different)
Protocol
Sorbet
1. In a food processor, pulse sugar and lemon zest a few times to release the oils from the rind.
2. Transfer lemon sugar to a medium bowl, and add buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla, if using. Whisk until sugar dissolves.
3. Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. About 5 minutes before the end of the cycle, add vodka. It lowers the freezing point of the mixture and allows for a super creamy sorbet that won’t turn into a rock.
Raspberry coulis
1. In a small saucepan, make a simple syrup by heating sugar and water until sugar dissolves completely.
2. Place raspberries and syrup into a small food processor or blender, and pulse a few times to purée. If you don’t like seeds, strain coulis through a fine mesh strainer.
Happy Summer to you!