white nectarine and gin sorbet...

When I was a kid the Coca Cola spider was the ultimate holiday treat. I can tell you it wasn't a regular occurrence. Mum raised us right. Not too many sugary treats (unless they were home made) and no fast food. For someone that wasn't a fan of carbonation in anything, I don't know why I loved spiders so much. Probably the double sugar upon sugar. Soft drink and ice cream. 

When I was younger, it was a rare opportunity to have something that (a) we knew mum would disapprove of and (b) have something we knew we wouldn't be having again in a veeeery long time. So when such an occasion occurred it was like winning the lottery! So before mum could order you a ham and cheese sandwich I would have already blurted to the waitress I wanted nachos and an ice cream spider. It's all about seizing the right moment. I think mum and dad knew there was no point fighting us on this. Pick your battles.

This sorbet (served with moscato) is like the most grown up amazing version of a coca cola spider you can get. Long gone are the days when I think soft drink and ice cream are a valid lunch choice. But if something is homemade it is WAY easier to justify*. And come on you've just made it from scratch!

Served just as is, or topped with fresh mango, this is probably the easiest sorbet out there. You don't even need an ice cream churner! Win win. Which is lucky because my kitchen is so small there is no way I could possibly fit another appliance anywhere. My toaster has been demoted from prime bench top position, to tucked away in the cupboard. Definitely no room for an ice cream churner!

The hardest part about these is waiting for it to set. They say patience is a virtue but it is so dang hard. Nobody tells you that. 

*I'm amazing at justifying things. For example I'm probably going to have this for dinner tonight as my kitchen light is broken. Much easier to scoop sorbet for dessert straight from the freezer than to set up a lamp for the kitchen. Cooking in the dark is too hard. See justification EASY!

White Nectarine and Gin Sorbet
recipe adapted from Delicious Magazine 'Summer Special'
serves 8

1 cup sugar
peel of one lemon
7 slipstone white nectarines, halved and stoned
juice of one lemon
60ml gin
Moscato or champagne and blackberries to serve (optional)

To make the sorbet combine the sugar, lemon peel and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat for a couple of minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Add the nectarines, bring back to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nectarines are soft. Turn heat off and leave to stand for half an hour.

Drain the nectarines, reserving the syrup and discarding the lemon peel. Peel the skins off the nectarines, and transfer the fruit to a food processor, blending until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups of syrup, lemon juice and gin, and process until combined.

Pour mixture into a container, cover and freeze for 6-8 hours or until firm. Once frozen, break up the frozen sorbet with a metal spoon, and working quickly transfer it in batches to a food processor and process until smooth. Immediately transfer to a plastic container and put it straight back in the freezer. Freeze for a further 3 hours, until the sorbet is firm.

If desired serve in glasses topped with blackberries and moscato. Or eat straight from the tub.

*Note - if there is any extra syrup, keep it to add to soda and gin for a refreshing summer afternoon drink!