21 July 2014
Welcome friends. While I was working on this recipe, I saw an ice cream recipe in a magazine that replaced the dairy with coconut milk and almond milk. I have some friends with lactose issues and I wanted to try making a dairy-free ice cream, but it didn't turn out anything like the photo. The recipe also mentioned using a $300 ice cream maker. Maybe you need an expensive ice cream maker for the recipe to work. My friends will have to settle for sorbet.
I have cuisinart's ice cream and frozen yogurt maker and you can get one for around $60. I bought it last summer and I have been very happy with it. It has a canister that I keep in the freezer, so it is ready when I want to use it. I've looked at the more expensive ice cream makers, but I've never been able to talk myself into buying one.
The truth is, you don't need an ice cream maker for this recipe; you can make it as a granita. To make a granita, follow the steps below to make the base. Once the mixture has cooled, pour it into a freezer safe container and flake it with a fork every 2 hours while it is freezing. The texture is more granular and the flavor is more intense when made this way.
I've made a lot of granita, but when I got an ice cream maker, I was curious to see how my granita recipes would turn out using the machine. This recipe has a smoother texture when made with an ice cream maker. The honey is something that I have recently added. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. It makes a sorbet just a little denser and easier to scoop. I also enjoy the flavor combination of honey and lemon. I like to serve this with sliced peaches, blueberries, and a few raspberries. It is a light and refreshing finish to a summer meal.
Lemon Honey Sorbet
30 min. prep time | 2 hr chill time | 3 hr freezing time
Ingredients
serves 4 to 6
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 1 Tbl limoncello or vodka
- pinch of sea salt
Directions
place the the water, sugar, and honey in a small sauce pan and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the syrup begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium low and allow the syrup to boil gently for 5 minutes. Set the syrup aside to cool for 20 minutes.
juice the lemons and pour the juice through a mesh strainer to remove any pulp. Whisk the juice into the cooled syrup. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
whisk the limoncello (or vodka) into the chilled mixture. Add the salt and pour into an ice cream maker. Process following the manufacturer's instructions.
transfer the sorbet into a freezer-safe plastic container and freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve with blueberries, raspberries, and sliced peaches.