14) Lemon Sherbet (Dessert Diary, Part 2)

I) Dessert with lemons part 2. Lemon Sherbet. I love Ice Cream. I can’t afford an ice cream maker. Ah, first world problems. Here’s a way to make a frozen dessert, while no substitute for real ice cream, is tasty in its own right. Sherbet is basically a sorbet with a touch of cream. Since you don’t have the constant agitation of an ice cream machine, this method requires a bit more sugar than necessary. The sugar helps to keep the ice crystals small, enhancing the texture of the sherbet.

II) Lemon Sherbet

Materials:

· 1 cup sugar

· 1 cup water

· 1 cup lemon juice

· Zest of 1 lemon

· ¼ cup cream

Method:

1) Pre-freeze a shallow baking dish. Melt sugar and water together. Cool to room temperature

2) Add lemon juice, zest, and cream. Pour mix into the frozen baking dish. Place the dish in the freezer.

3) Scrape the ice crystals every hour for the next 4 hours, fluffing up the crystals. Serve

III) Results and Discussion

I read this recipe in a Jamie Oliver cookbook. And although I liked some of his old cooking shows, this recipe doesn’t seem to make “Sherbet.” It turns out more like a cross between a granita and a sorbet (a granita is basically shaved ice). Although he adds mascarpone cheese instead of cream, he only adds one tablespoon, hardly enough to make much of a difference in my mind, but maybe that’s why mine came out more icy. I’ll be sure to try this again with mascarpone.

IV) Sources

Oliver, Jamie, David Loftus, and Chris Terry. Jamie's Italy. New York: Hyperion, 2006. 299. Print.

V) Pictures!