sorbet / gelato - 2nd batch and my first time in italy

view from the top of the ice cream maker

after a successful 1st batch of sorbet, i was ready to refine it last night.
the results...seriously reminded me of italian gelato.
i became a bit nostalgic about my first time visiting italy, and the daily ritual of gelato in the mid-afternoon, wandering around the old streets of firenze
crossing covered bridges
taking it in.

i've always loved travel
and willing to take risks, try something new, learn, eat, experience
i was 18
living in switzerland on an exchange program
and on the flight over from canada, i briefly met a few other students (going to different parts of the country)
and we vowed, in the air, somewhere over the atlantic, that we would all do a trip together.
i lied to my host family and said i was going with my family that lived in geneva (i did visit them, but another time)
and so for 5 nights we went to magical, macho florence and a night in milan
there was a lot of chianti, a lot of capuccino, and a lot of gelato (upon reflection it did seem to be a week of liquid dieting)
i fell in love with firenze
the uffizi
the frescos
the buildings that reminded me of mint candy stripes
even the macho men
and the gypsies who tried to rob one of my travel mates
all part of the experience
i remember all of the lights at night
that soft yellow-ish glow
the music in the streets
my
at 18, i just marvelled at the whole experience.
and i loved the gelato
when i came home i sought it out
and i live on the doorstep of little italy - sweet, perfect patio dessert.


the ingredients
about 2.5c of frozen raspberries
1/3c sucanat
about 7 pieces of frozen mango
3tbsp lime
1c wild raspberry 100% juice (sunrype)
about 1c water
about 4tbsp cornstarch

everything went in the pot on low
then i used the hand blender to smooth the texture
and strained the whole thing (i need to learn how to strain better - this step took a long time)

raspberries, a few pieces of frozen mango,

and sucanat (natural sugar)

yum!

the effort of straining the seeds out was absolutely worth it.

ok

so i am not in italy

and this is not gelato - but it reminds me of it, and it was so so good. 

i think i have a new appliance addiction.

sweet sorbet

i just bought an ice cream maker. hmmm that makes it sound like a confession.
i ordered it online and got a great deal on a cuisinart with an extra ice cream making bowl, and it arrived yesterday.

so, late last night when the ice cream making bowl was frozen, i made my first batch - a sorbet

i had no cream or eggs in the fridge but wanted to test out the new appliance. i make lots of smoothies so i always have frozen fruit...so sorbet it was

my dairy free, gluten free frozen delight...

ingredients
4c frozen berries (mostly mixed and about a cup and a half of raspberries)

1/2c sugar - i use natural sugars so demerara

a few tbsp water
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp corn starch (had to use some thickener - it's what i had)

i put everything in a small pot on low so that the sugar would blend
as it got a little syrupy, i broke out the hand blender and blended the mix together
i put it in the freezer to cool it to a refrigerated temp (about 40min)

then put it in the ice cream maker, blended for 23minutes and it was a wonderful texture - it was like a fruit gelato
it was really rich, i think i could have added a bit more water and cornstarch to stretch another serving out of it without sacrificing flavour.

am making more tonight - the 3yr old was delighted to have "ice cream", the 11mth old lapped it up and he is cutting 6 (!) teeth at once so am sure it felt great on little swollen gums, and i enjoyed a nice serving too - dh is saving his for a midnight snack...so any minute now.

i toasted some shredded coconut in the iron skillet to have a topping option