Peach Sorbet

Pictured: Serve Peach Sorbet with slices of ripe peaches for a healthy garnish.

But I must admit that one of the gadgets I have yet to buy for my kitchen will continue to be an ice cream maker.  Not because it isn’t insanely handy, but because of the calorie-fearing powers it has over me.  I have a serious weakness for ice creams, gelatos, and just about every kind of sorbet you can imagine.  I know that if I owned an ice cream maker, I would probably gain inches around my waist just looking at it.  Fortunately, a friend let me borrow this ice cream maker so that I might test this recipe for you readers.

And the process is insanely fast: about 45-minutes in the machine for freshly made desserts giving me plenty of time to take pictures of Beth Blancher’s dog, Chloe.

Pictured: Chloe’s sweet Yorkie-smile kept us great company as we made this Peach Sorbet.

Whether making sorbet with peaches, mangos, or any ripe summer fruit, use this easy recipe with everyday ingredients lying around your kitchen (Ice Cream Maker not included).

Peach Sorbet

This recipe comes from Curtis Aikens at Food Network kitchens (here).  I found the simple combination of sugar water, fruit, and lemon juice to make for a summery and vibrant sorbet.  However, Aikens’s recipe yields 4 cups simple syrup even though the sorbet recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups.  I’ve made this adjustment below, but you can easily follow his original (yielding 4 cups simple syrup) and use 5 lbs. peaches and 3 lemons.  This will yield a triple batch of sorbet.

Ingredients:

*1 1/2 cups simple syrup (1 1/2 cups sugar + 1 1/2 cups water, instructions follow)

*2 pounds peaches

*1 lemon, juiced (can substitute 1/4 cup lemon juice)

1.) Make the simple syrup: combine 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and stir frequently until sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat and cool completely before making sorbet.

2.) Poach Peaches: bring a medium-size pot filled with hot water to a boil.  Take 2 pounds peaches (for me, this was 2 *very large* peaches, but will probably be about 4 normal-sized peaches) and score their bottoms with an “x.” This will help you to peel the peaches once they’ve been poached.

3.) When water is boiling, drop peaches into the water and boil for 10 minutes making sure to poke the peaches under the water as necessary.  Remove from heat and cool completely before peeling.

4.) Using a paring knife, peel peaches from the score-mark up.  Because they’ve been poached, the peaches should separate from their skin easily.  Once peeled, core peaches and add to a food processor.  Purée until smooth.

5.) Make ice cream: add puréed peaches, 1 1/2 cups simple syrup, and the juice of one lemon to your machine.  Attach paddle attachment and turn on based on manufacturer’s instructions for sorbet.  For us, this was 45-minutes, but could take up to 60-minutes.  For Cuisinart Ice Cream Makers, the process may take up to 2 hours.  Whatever device you use, be sure to consult the “sorbet” settings.

Serve with fresh peach slices and enjoy! Makes 6 servings.

–Helana Brigman

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