Peach sorbet and lemon-mint sherbert

Let’s put this to rest once and for all:

Sherbet or sherbert?

Maybe it’s another one of those strange colloquialisms that’s now ingrained in my mind as “normal”. I say that it’s pronounced “sherbert“. Farrell is on Team Sherbet. So far several friends agree with me. Wikipedia has proven to be so neutral that it only offers a single line to define sherbet as “an American term for a frozen dessert like sorbet, but containing a small amount of dairy” and sherbert as an alternate spelling.

Ahh, sorbet. With it’s exotic origins in the Middle East and a name that oozes a sing-song sophistication, sherbe(r)t steps in as sorbet’s unrefined, country-folk American cousin. Sorbet is simple; nothing but pure fruit and some extra sweetness. Sherbe(r)t takes the base and stirs in a tangy glug of cream. It’s comforting and still refreshing, taking the posh edge off the sorbet.

I’ve had a serious craving for cold treats after surviving some of the hottest days ever in Nashville and Washington, and the combination of lemon and mint was the perfect starting point during brainstorming.

Being me, I couldn’t just make lemon-mint ice cream. Why not? Ehh… because I must enjoy making things more difficult for myself. Like paying off my student loans by going to work in Iraq, or taking jobs that require a three-hour commute. You know, stuff that sane people would scoff at.

I intended to buy whatever fruit was on sale at the grocery store. Farrell warned me it would likely be blueberries.

Geez, seriously!? Didn’t I just make a trillion things with blueberries? Didn’t I just post them all together because I knew how lame it would be to post so many separate blueberry-themed posts? Yes, I did.

And just like he predicted, we walk into Whole Foods and there’s a big sign advertising a sale on blueberries… for $4.49! Bwugh, too much, Whole Foods, too much.

Cherries? “But they have pits,” says Farrell. Strawberries? Too watery. Raspberries? Not looking too fresh.

Just as I was about to convince myself that maybe just making one frozen dessert at a time did not constitute a failure, I spotted a crate of plump, blushing peaches. Grown in Pennsylvania (what up Philly!) and $1.99 a pound, I was sold.

- Peach sorbet and lemon-mint sherbert - Sorta based on this and this
Juice from 4 large peaches (approximately 2 1/2 cups or 600 ml)
1/2 cup sugar
- Peel peaches, gently cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes (with an optional sprinkle of sugar) to break them down. Puree and measure juice.
- Stir 1/2 cup sugar into 2 1/2 cups warm peach puree and chill overnight.

3 oz or 3/8 of a cup water
130 g sugar (5/8 cups)
1 tbsp white wine (optional)
zest of two lemons
big handful of chopped fresh mint (about 1 cup)
225 ml (1 cup or 7.6 oz) milk
juice from two lemons
- Combine water, sugar, white wine (optional), lemon zest and chopped mint in a saucepan. Dissolve sugar over medium-low heat and chill overnight. Strain syrup (to remove leaves and zest) and stir in milk and lemon juice just prior to churning.

Here’s how I swirled the two together:
- Churn one batch, put in a container big enough to hold both batches and put in the freezer as normal. Clean your ice cream machine and re-freeze.
- Wait at least eight hours, it’s a good idea to do this step overnight.
- Take the first batch out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you churn the second one. Use a rubber spatula to soften it up and make sure it’ll be ready to move with the second batch.
- Churn the second batch and immediately pour on top of the frozen-but-slightly-softened first batch. Using the rubber spatula again, gently fold the two together with four or five good swoops. Be careful not to over mix or they’ll just combine (which isn’t a bad thing, but don’t we want the pretty contrast in colors? Yes. Of course.)
- Take the batch to a dinner party and impress your friends. Try to act modest, but know that you are the Queen of Desserts.

Tagged as: dessert, frozen awesome, lemon, mint, peach, sherbert, sherbet, sorbet, summer recipes