Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Cranberry Sorbet


I hope you are all enjoying your turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, and stuffing and potato concoctions. Maybe you tried "Leftover Soup" from my friends at Grapes and Greens!
http://grapesandgreens.blogspot.com

Whatever the case, chances are there may still be some cranberries left in the fridge. Often these are some of the last leftovers to go. Rather than letting them sit and eventually tossing them, consider this delicious and tart seasonal dessert. It may even help you to wean off the nightly pie attack, as well. Whether you like the jellied kind in the shape of a can or made a homemade version, this cranberry sorbet recipe is a great use of any of them. Feel free to improvise this.

If your leftover cranberries are plain, I strongly advise adding 1/2 cup orange juice, some cinnamon and allspice, and maybe some honey or agave nectar. If they are already seasoned with orange, spices, cherries, or other sweet stuff, adjust and season to taste before freezing.

Cranberry Sorbet


2 cups leftover cranberry sauce (any kind: canned, fresh, or sweet cranberry salad)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T orange zest
3 cups water (or leftover dessert wine works!)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
(optional) 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, dash of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground ginger


Pulse all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Use your own judgment about how smooth you want to go. I like to have some chunks, but if you are blending cranberry sauce that has nuts, raisins, or other stuff, you may want to make it pretty smooth.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Make it a little sweeter than you think you would like because the sweetness is diminished a little when frozen.

Freeze in an ice cream or sorbet maker OR

Pour mixture into a stainless steel bowl. Place bowl in a safe spot in the freezer. Stir briskly every 30 minutes for about 2 hours (sometimes longer, depending on your freezer). I like to use a big whisk to break up the icy stuff that forms on the top.

Serve when it reaches sorbet consistency. If you are timing it to have right after dinner, you may have to pull it out, let it get just a little melty 30 minutes before and do one last stirring.

Stir more often for a finer texture. Also, when it's very icy you can briefly blend it and serve immediately.

(optional) Pour a few tablespoons of Nocella (Italian walnut liqueur) over to serve!

1 comment:

Deborah said...

what a great idea of adding dessert wine to the sorbet. sounds so delicious!