Pomegranates are a wonderful and exotic fruit that becomes available every winter. Pomegranate juice, however, is available year-round and works great for making this sorbet. If you have some around, sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds over the top and a sprig of mint for a classier presentation.
Reprinted with permission from Memorable Recipes: To Share with Family and Friends by Renee Behnke and Cynthia Nimms (Andrews McMeel 2009).
Ingredients:
- 1¨ö cups water
- ¨÷ cup sugar
- ¨÷ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup pure pomegranate juice
- 2 tablespoons Campari (optional)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preparation:
- Combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool completely.
- Stir the pomegranate juice, Campari, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the sugar syrup. Refrigerate until well chilled. Menu Ideas: This tangy sorbet is wonderful as a small taste between courses or at the end of a meal with a few fresh raspberries or sliced pitted black Bing cherries on top. Add a few sugar cookies from your favorite bakery alongside and you have a delightful and incredibly easy way to finish any meal.
Do-Ahead Tips: The sorbet can be made up to 3 weeks in advance and frozen in an airtight container. It can become quite hard in the freezer; let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes if needed. Often I¡¯ll simply scrape the sorbet with a spoon to serve, rather than scooping it as I do for ice cream.3. Pour the chilled sorbet base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer¡¯s instructions. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and freeze until set, at least 2 hours. The sorbet may need to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to be soft enough to scoop.
