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
This looks beautiful and I love that it is a fairly heathly dessert option. I think I will add this to our V-day menu!
ps-about how much does this make?
Thanks for asking, I forgot to include that! The recipe said it would make 3 cups but I got just under 2 1/2 cups.
Thank you!
What a great recipe, Jess! I am banking this refreshing dessert for when the temps heat up here in Phoenix which should be about, oh…four days from now. I love your Grand Marnier sub; I think I’d like that flavor better. The alcohol, even a tiny splash, helps with the consistency because it requires a lower freezing temp, which keeps the sorbet from getting too hard. Love the photos, too!
How gorgeous is this dessert! I keep forgetting about making sorbets when thinking of sweet treats. Luckily for us SoCal peeps, we have fresh strawberries all the time. I think it’s time to bust out the ice cream maker and make a pint or two of this!! YUM!
I would LOVE to make this for Valentine’s Day. I have been looking for healthy ideas and this one is perfect!!! I just can’t get good strawberries anywhere…good thing Strawberry season is right around the corner for us on the east cost of the USA.
This has become my “go to” strawberry sorbet recipe. I’ve made it many times over the last few summers. The strawberry flavor really stands out because you don’t dilute the mashed strawberries with water…just add sugar. The little bit of alcohol keeps the sorbet from getting rock hard in the freezer. Try this recipe before you try any others.
Agreed!