Watermelon Sorbet

You really must make this super sorbet. I made it on a whim (because watermelons were going really cheaply), not expecting it to be so good. The flavour is amazing! This is a perfect summer sorbet. Enjoy!

Watermelon Sorbet  

Ingredients:

• I cup of sugar
• 3 cups of water
• 4 cups of seeded, chopped, watermelon
• 1/4 cup of lime juice

Method:

1. Bring the water and the sugar just to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 
2. Take off the heat and cool.
3. In a blender, process the sugar syrup, lime juice and the watermelon in batches until smooth.
4. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. Pour mixture in to a ice-cream maker and freeze.

Lemon Gelato & Lemon Sorbet

These are for my darling friend Kate xx

Lemon Gelato

1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups cream

1. In a small heavy saucepan, heat the milk to 175°; stir in sugar until dissolved.
   
2. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks.
3. Return all the mixture to the pan, whisking constantly.
   
4. Add the lemon peel.
   
5. Cook & stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160° & coats the back of a metal spoon.
6. Remove from the heat; strain.
7. Stir in the lemon juice. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes.
   
8. Stir in cream. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
9. Transfer the mixture into your ice-cream make & freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Lemon Sorbet

The peel of one lemon, finely diced
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup carbonated mineral water

1. In a saucepan, stir together the diced lemon peel, 1 cup of water & sugar.
   
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
   
3. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool (now the the lemon syrup)
4. In a bowl, stir together the lemon syrup, lemon juice and mineral water.
   
5. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Mango Gelato

Does anything beat a real home made ice-cream? I love ice-cream (although I try not to eat it too much), & we recently bought a new ice-cream maker after the last one oozed internal mush all throughout the freezer bowl. They are so affordable now, so please, do yourself a MASSIVE favour & buy yourself one. We bought a Cuisinart 2 litre machine, & other than being very noisy, it is a fab machine.

Yesterday I made, for the first time, a mango gelato, using fresh mangoes. Can I just say TO DIE FOR?? Yes indeed, it is. We had some tonight, with fresh mint leaves. You must make yourself some. Please do, let me know how it turned out.

A Basic Gelato Recipe

3/4 cup 150g caster sugar
1 cup water
1 & 1/3 cup of cream
Fruit puree of your choice (see below for some options)

1. To make the basic gelato mixture, place the sugar & water in a saucepan over a low heat & stir without boiling until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Increase the heat & bring the syrup to the boil for one minute.
   
3. Set aside to cool.
   
4. While the syrup is cooling, prepare one of the fruit variations below.
5. Combine the fruit puree & sugar syrup & then place the mixture into an ice-cream maker: follow the manufacturer's instructions.
   
6. If you don't have an ice-cream maker, place the fruit & syrup mixture in a metal bowl or cake tin, cover & freeze for an hour or until it is just beginning to set at the edge. Beat with an electric hand whisk & return it to the freezer. Repeat three times at hourly intervals or until the gelato is thick and smooth.

Variations:

1. For a Peach Gelato: combine 2 1/2 cups strained peach puree (6 peaches or 900g chopped peach flesh) & 1/3 cup (80ml) lemon juice to the cooled basic gelato mixture. Continue with step 3.
2. For a Raspberry Gelato: combine 1 3/4 cup strained raspberry puree (700g fresh or frozen raspberries) & 1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice to the cooled basic gelato mixture. Continue with step 3.
3. For a Mango Gelato: combine 2 1/2 cups mango puree (4 x 400g mangoes or 950g chopped mango flesh) & 1/2 cup (120ml) lime juice to the cooled basic gelato mixture. Continue with step 3.
4. For a Strawberry Gelato: combine 2 1/2 cups strained strawberry puree (850g fresh strawberries) & 1/2 cup (120ml) lime juice to the cooled basic gelato mixture. Continue with step 3.