Slushed! Part 14

This sorbet combines fresh mint and lemony Limoncello. It makes a great after-dinner palate cleanser.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

2 cups water cup sugar 1 cup fresh mint leaves, packed cup fresh lemon juice cup Limoncello cup fresh mint, finely chopped Put the water and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Simmer over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the fresh mint leaves. Remove from heat. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Strain into a bowl, discarding the solids.

Stir in the lemon juice and Limoncello. Let cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge until completely cold.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding in the cup of chopped mint in the last 5 minutes. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

Raspberry & Chambord Sorbet

Serve scoops of this ruby-red sorbet in martini gla.s.ses, garnished with a few fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

1 cup pinot grigio cup sugar 5 cups fresh raspberries Juice of lemon 3 tablespoons Chambord Fresh raspberries, for garnish Fresh mint, for garnish Put the pinot grigio and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the raspberries. Simmer for 510 minutes, stirring frequently, until the raspberries break down.

Remove pot from the heat. Strain mixture into a bowl, smoos.h.i.+ng the raspberries down with a spoon to extract as much liquid as you can. Discard the solids.

Add the lemon juice and Chambord. Let cool to room temperature, then pop the bowl into the fridge to chill completely.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

Harvey Wallbanger Sorbet

The Harvey Wallbanger is one of those cla.s.sic c.o.c.ktails from the '50s that makes you feel like you should be in a ritzy hotel bar wearing a tailored pantsuit-and a fancy little hat. This smooth interpretation gets its kick from vodka, Galliano, and triple sec.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice cup sugar Zest from 1 large orange 1 tablespoon triple sec 2 tablespoons vodka 1 tablespoon Galliano Put the orange juice, sugar, and orange zest in a medium-sized pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cool to room temperature.

Stir in the triple sec, vodka, and Galliano. Chill the mixture completely in the fridge.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

Peach Champagne Sorbet

Talk about simple. With only three ingredients, this sorbet is elegant and easy to make. Serve with ripe, sliced peaches and a tall, icy gla.s.s of sparkling wine.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

cup sugar 2 cups peach nectar 1 cups champagne or prosecco Put the peach nectar and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature on the counter.

Stir in the champagne or prosecco. Chill in the fridge until completely cold.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

Kirsch-Infused Slippery Cherry Sherbet

This sherbet is milky and sweet, with fresh cherry juice and just a hint of almond extract. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and/or a handful of toasted, chopped walnuts.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUARTS.

3 cups whole milk cup sugar cup kirsch teaspoon almond extract 2 cups cherries, stemmed, pitted, and chopped Put the milk and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cool to room temperature.

Stir in the kirsch and almond extract. Chill the mixture completely in the fridge.

In your blender, puree the chilled mixture with the cherries.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

A Killer Cherry c.o.c.ktail

For a killer frozen cherry c.o.c.ktail, blend 3 cups of this sherbet, 1 cup of milk, and an extra shot or two of kirsch.

Black Magic Sorbet

Here's a frosty take on the Black Magic c.o.c.ktail, a high-test combination of vodka, Kahlua, and coffee that's finished with a few dashes of lemon juice.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

cup water cup sugar 1 whole vanilla bean Zest from large lemon 3 cups strong brewed coffee, chilled 3 tablespoons vodka 1 tablespoon Kahlua Chocolate-covered espres...o...b..ans, for garnish Put the water and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife. Sc.r.a.pe the paste out with the back of the knife. Add the vanilla paste and pod to the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar, until the mixture just starts to simmer.

Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cool to room temperature, letting the vanilla infuse in the sugar syrup. When the syrup is cool, remove the vanilla pod and discard.

Stir in the lemon zest, coffee, vodka, and Kahlua. Chill the mixture completely in the fridge.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

Serve garnished with a couple of chocolate-covered espres...o...b..ans.

Sunny Amaretto Sorbet

This sunny take on the Amaretto Sour c.o.c.ktail swaps in freshly squeezed orange juice for traditional, lemon-based sour mix. It's fruity, with hints of sweet almond. For a more traditional sour c.o.c.ktail flavor, increase the amount of lemon juice, and decrease the orange juice.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice cup sugar cup fresh lemon juice cup Amaretto Maraschino cherries, for garnish Put the orange juice and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Simmer over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Cover and let cool to room temperature.

Stir in the lemon juice and Amaretto, then chill in the fridge until completely cold.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight. Serve garnished with a few maraschino cherries.

Mix It In! Amaretto Sours are traditionally garnished with a maraschino cherry. Cherries and almonds are notoriously good companions. For a little more texture to this sorbet, try adding in cup minced maraschino cherries in the last 5 minutes of processing.

Cognac & Apricot Sorbet

Grab a bowl of this and settle in on the back porch after a leisurely Sunday brunch. It's packed with apricot flavor-with just a hint of cognac. Since bottled apricot nectar is already plenty sweet, any extra sugar has been omitted here.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

4 cups apricot nectar cup fresh lemon juice cup cognac Cognac-soaked dried apricots, for garnish Put the apricot nectar, lemon juice, and cognac in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Chill in the fridge until completely cold.

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container. Freeze overnight.

Serve garnished with a single, luscious, cognac-soaked apricot.

Cognac-Soaked Apricots

1 cup whole, dried apricots Cognac Put the dried apricots in a clean mason jar. Cover with cognac. Cover and refrigerate for a week before serving. Use to garnish this sorbet, or any fruity c.o.c.ktail. You can even chop up a handful and toss the pieces into cake batter or cookie dough for extra flavor.

Salty Dog Sorbet

Pucker up! This frozen take on the cla.s.sic Salty Dog c.o.c.ktail is slightly tart and very refres.h.i.+ng. For a slightly sweeter sorbet, use ruby red grapefruit juice. To serve, scoop into goblets and garnish with a piece of candied grapefruit peel (or a wedge of gummy grapefruit, in a pinch) and a few flakes of sea salt.