Is it too early for ice cream? We certainly don’t think so.
In the last installment of our spring dessert collaboration with Sweets & Bitters, we bring you rosy-hued seasonal sherbet — which is kind of like sorbet, but with dairy. Citrus is still in season and you can find dried hibuscus flowers and rose water in Middle Eastern markets. Use them to infuse floral notes into any dessert (among other dishes and drinks) any time of year.
These scoops can stand alone, but can also pair well with our other seasonal confections including blueberry jam brioche doughnuts, blood orange beet cake with goat cheese icing, lemon shortcake and green tea rice macarons.
Stay tuned for more seasonal recipe collaborations with Sweets & Bitters and happy spring!
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Grapefruit sherbet
3 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Zest of 1 grapefruit
5 tablespoons grapefruit juice
2 tablespoon Aperol
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1. Heat 1 cup of milk with the sugar and grapefruit zest in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Whisk in the rest of the milk, then the rest of the ingredients. If it separates, whisk the mixture vigorously to bring it back together. Chill by placing the bowl into a larger bowl of ice water, or refrigerating.
2. When cold, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This will keep for weeks, but is best within a few days of churning.
Hibiscus sorbet
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup lime juice (about 6 limes)
3 drops rosewater
1. Combine the hibiscus with 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes to make a dark red tea. Strain out the flowers, and combine the tea with the sugar while stirring to dissolve. Mix this with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Chill by placing the bowl into a larger bowl of ice water, or refrigerating.
2. When it’s cold, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Like the grapefruit sorbet, this will keep for weeks, but is best within a few days of churning.
Photo credit: Lauren Colchamiro
