As much as I love rich and decadent chocolate desserts, I think it’s also important to balance your menu. So if you have really heavy dinner, you’re probably better off going with a lighter, more refreshing, dessert. Today I’m taking that lighter approach to Valentine’s day.
Sorbet is cold and refreshing and a nice lower-fat alternative to ice cream. But don’t confuse this sorbet with that neon rainbowy stuff from your childhood. This sorbet is PACKED with a sweet powerful strawberry punch and naturally has the most beautiful reddish-magenta color. It would really be the perfect finish to a heavy Valentine’s dinner.
Ingredients
1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp kirsch or grand marnier*
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
*The recipe called for Kirsch but I didn’t have any (and didn’t want to buy some for a teaspoon!) so I used Grand Marnier (an orange liqueur) instead . It worked! It’s also such a tiny amount that you can omit entirely.
Directions
In a medium bowl, toss together the sliced strawberries, sugar, and liqueur (if using). Cover and let sit for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Pour the strawberries/sugar into the bowl of food processor (or blender). Add lemon juice and pinch of salt. Process until smooth. Press the pureed strawberries through a mesh sieve (strainer) to remove seeds. Cover the mixture and chill in refrigerator for several hours. Once chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.*
*I use the Kitchenaid standing mixer ice cream attachment. The bowl needs to freeze for 24 hours before it’s ready to make ice cream/sorbet. Once it’s ready, I attach the the bowl to the base and the paddle to the head. I turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the mixture. Leaving the mixer on low I let it churn for 15-20 minutes.
Very slightly adapted from The Perfect Scoop
