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Friday, June 7, 2013

Lemon Basil Sorbet


Last week I broke out my ice cream maker, which I haven't used since last Fall. The last time I made ice cream was when I made pumpkin ice cream during the warmer days in October. I made strawberry ice cream last week, and since I made it, I've been dreaming up other fun ice cream recipes. When Greg and I went to St. Michaels this past weekend, we dined at a restaurant called 208 Talbot. The food we ate there was amazing! We must have been seated just around the same time as the tables next to us, because I practically had the dinner and dessert specials memorized. One dessert menu item was mojito sorbet, which peaked my interest. The server said it had no alcohol, it cleansed the palate, and that it was very refreshing. Although we didn't order any dessert, I couldn't stop thinking about that sorbet. I wanted to make a refreshing sorbet! Well, since I had an abundance of lemons for once and since we have basil growing in the garden, I made a lemon basil sorbet. I based the recipe on the bubbly basil lemonade that I made for the first time last summer. It was super delicious, and it was refreshing! It's tart and sweet and a little creamy and pretty incredible. I made it Wednesday afternoon and my friend, Greg, and I ate it so quickly that I had to make another batch again yesterday. I'm excited to share this recipe & I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. And I definitely will be trying to create a mojito sorbet recipe too in the coming weeks!

Recipe for Lemon Basil Sorbet

INGREDIENTS:
Basil Simple Syrup (recipe to follow)
10 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice (use a citrus squeezer)
1/3 cup of heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix together the lemon juice, basil simple syrup, and heavy cream. Mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid in put into the fridge for 30 - 45 minutes. 
Once mixture is cold, add it into an ice cream maker and make according to ice cream maker manufacturer directions (it should take about 20 - 25 minutes). For a softer sorbet, serve immediately. If you prefer a more frozen sorbet, put in an airtight container and store in freezer for a couple hours before serving. 

For the Basil Simple Syrup:
Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 3/4 cup of fresh basil leaves (washed and stems removed) to a small saucepan. Put the saucepan over medium high heat. Stir mixture almost constantly until all the sugar is dissolved and bring to a heavy simmer. Allow it to simmer for about a minute, continuing to stir. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, pour over a container into a fine mesh sieve. Press down on the basil leaves to try to extract the most flavor and then discard the basil leaves. Put lid on container and store in fridge for at least an hour before you make the sorbet.

Makes 4 - 6 servings

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