strawberry sorbet

i bought my ice cream machine soon after we moved into our house in late may 2009. the very first thing i made was a basic vanilla ice cream made with milk and heavy cream (it took me a while to work up to custard based ice cream) and topped with fresh strawberries. soon after, i made this strawberry sorbet.

sorbet is the easiest frozen dessert you could ever make. juice some fruit, add some sugar and a splash of vodka, and freeze in your ice cream machine. super easy. and the flavor is incredible. i made mine from a quart of super ripe berries i got at the public market for a steal. apparently most people think ripe, super red strawberries are past their prime, rather than in it.

strawberry sorbet
adapted from david liebovitz, in the perfect scoop
1 hour prep, makes 3 cups

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and halved
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vodka
pinch of salt

1. toss the strawberries with the sugar and vodka in a bowl. cover and let sit about an hour, stirring occasionally.
2. pour the strawberry mixture into a blender and add a healthy pinch of salt. blend until smooth.
3. refrigerate the mixture (in the blender carafe) until very cold, at least one hour, or overnight.
4. process according to your ice cream maker instructions.

check out more sweet treats at sweet tooth friday & sweets for a saturday!

this recipe was selected by Alli as one of her top five favorites for sweet tooth friday!