sorbet

Although there hasn't been much Summer weather in San Francisco, I haven't let it stop me from making scrumptious sorbets. I've experimented with berries since May, so it was time to give blackberries a chance as a sorbet. I kept the recipe really simple since the berries are in season and barely need any sugar to sweeten them. If you didn't want to spend the money on fresh blackberries, frozen would work just as well. For any sorbet, it's important to taste test; you don't want to add too much simple syrup. The end result is incredibly refreshing. If you want to cool down from a sultry Summer day, keep reading for the recipe.

YumSugar community member girlA shows how Summer's ripe for enjoying a trio of fresh fruit sorbets. Do you have an image of something delicious that you recently made or enjoyed? If so, be sure to upload it in the Savory Sights group in our YumSugar Community!

Yummy sorbet from a fabulous restaurant in Jackson Hole.

The cherimoya was once described by Mark Twain as "the most delicious fruit known to men," and I must agree: it's divine! Although the cherimoya originates in South America, it's now also grown in California.

If you were to combine the flavors of mango, pineapple, papaya, and bananas, it would be pretty close to the taste of a cherimoya. The texture is exceptionally creamy, almost like an avocado, and it makes a very smooth sorbet. At the store, you might pass up a cherimoya since its appearance is similar to reptile skin, but don't let its looks fool you; it's an easy fruit to enjoy.

Lime juice and lime zest add a kick to the naturally sweet fruit. Pull out your ice cream maker and hunt down a couple cherimoyas, you won't be disappointed. To see this simple sorbet recipe, keep reading.

Spotting a wide array of frozen desserts at this year's Fancy Foods Show reminded me of a burning question that hasn't melted away: Are sorbet, sherbet, and sherbert all the same?

Despite the fact that the legal definitions of sorbet and sherbet could be used interchangeably, there is a distinction among American frozen dessert manufacturers. Sherbet — which is alternatively spelled sherbert — is a frozen fruit and dairy product that contains anywhere from 1 percent to 3 percent milkfat from milk or cream. Anything above 3 percent is generally labeled ice cream; anything below 1 percent is referred to as water ice.

On the other hand, sorbet generally implies a fruit-based frozen dessert with little to no dairy — although the use of the term sorbet is unregulated. To add to the confusion, in other parts of the world, sherbet may refer to a fizzy powder stirred into beverages, or a beverage made of diluted fruit juice.

Got a burning question? Join the Burning Question group in the YumSugar Community! It's your place to post the most pressing questions about the culinary world.

Although Thanksgiving is all about tradition, I love to take a quintessential holiday ingredient and add a new twist to it. Cranberry sauce is essential to turkey day, but it's time to move this berry over to dessert — with a white wine and ginger infused cranberry sorbet. Normally sorbet is served between courses to cleanse the palate. However, I like to offer it after the feast for guests who prefer something lighter and more refreshing than pumpkin pie. If you're interested in moving your cranberries from the dinner table to the dessert table, keep reading.

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I caught sight of something new to the produce aisle: red currants. I'd never seen fresh red currants, and I was enamored by the dainty clusters of berries, each reminded me of a brilliant garnet cabochon. Needless to say, I brought a carton home — despite having no idea what to do with them.After some preliminary tasting and research, it became clear that although it's possible to eat red currants out of hand, reducing them in sugar helps round out their piquancy. Ultimately, I blended their slightly tannic flavor with raspberries in a granita creating the perfect ending to an Indian Summer day. Learn one great application for red currants when you read more

I'm pretty traditional when it comes to birthdays and I can't remember celebrating one without a special cake. It may come as a shock, but every year, I make my own birthday cake. Researching cake recipes and going through the process of baking one has become a ritual that I look forward to and enjoy — as much as the senselessly extravagant birthday party. For 28, I've decided on a chocolate truffle cake with ganache topping and rum syrup. Instead of serving regular vanilla ice cream, I'm upping the ante and pairing the cake with a tropical sorbet terrine. It has three (coconut, raspberry, and mango) layers of sorbet that I think will perfectly complement the richness of the cake. To look at these scrumptious dessert recipes, read more