Cranberry Sorbet
About 1 quart (1l)

Inspired by Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef by Shauna James Ahern and Danny Ahern

I veered quite a bit from the original recipe, which had shiso leaves and an apple added to the puree. I added a tablespoon of liqueur, which helps keep the sorbet scoopable after it’s churned and frozen. You can omit it, or replace it with another favorite spirit.

1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/2 cup (125ml), plus 1/4 cup (60ml) water
12 ounces (340g) fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, thaw first)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (125ml) orange or tangerine juice, preferably freshly squeezed
optional: 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar with 1/2 cup (125ml) water then add the cranberries and a pinch of salt.

2. Cover, and cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are completely softened.

3. Remove from heat and let the cranberries sit until room temperature, covered.

4. Once the cranberries have cooled, puree the cranberries with any liquid and the orange juice, 1/4 cup water (60ml), and the orange-flavored liqueur, if using.

5. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

To make an ice cream or sorbet bombe: Choose any smooth plastic or metal container as a mold. Decide how many layers of ice cream or sorbet you want to add, then fill the container with water. Measure out the water with a measuring cup. Take the total volume and divide by the number of layers, and then you’ll know the quantity to use for each layer. (For example if the container holds 6 cups of water and you want 3 layers, each layer should be 2 cups of ice cream or sorbet.)

Line the mold with plastic film and smooth it down as much as possible, then chill it in the freezer. Plastic molds don’t need to be lined, but it does help unmold the bombe later.

Freeze each batch of ice cream or sorbet. Add one layer at a time, when the ice cream is spreadable, shortly after it comes out of the machine. Once you’ve put in a layer, rap the mold on a folded tea towel on the kitchen counter to release any air bubbles then re-freeze the mold as you wait for the next layer. For best results, let the layers get firm before you add another layer.

(If you want to use store-bought ice cream, simply let each one soften until spreadable to make layers.)

Note that being water- or fruit-based, sorbets tend to be icy and harder than ice cream once frozen. So it’s a good idea to add alcohol or use another technique for keeping it softer when frozen.

Cover and freeze the bombe until ready to serve. To serve, uncover the bombe turn it onto a well-chilled serving plate then lift off the mold. Remove the plastic wrap and cut slices with a sharp knife dipped in very hot water between slicing each portion.