Late spring in the Pacific Northwest is one of the best times of year. Sun-kissed skin, thriving gardens and deckside barbecues help remind us that a long summer is ahead. Of course, it also means that I have way too much mojito mint growing in my garden than I know what to do with. Needless to say, I’ve been putting mint in everything. Too many things, probably. But, what may have been my best idea in a long time, was making homemade lemon sorbet, loaded with—you guessed right—mint. And, don’t worry if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can easily make this sorbet as long as you have a freezer and a little bit of vodka. Since alcohol doesn’t freeze, the vodka helps add smoothness to the the crunchy, icy texture of the sorbet. I made mine with Heritage Distilling Company’s vodka. Triple distilled with a smooth finish, it’s the perfect addition to this refreshing dessert.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Rest time: several hours
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice (juice of 4 lemons)
Rind of 1 lemon
8 mojito (or peppermint) mint leave, finely chopped
1/2 ounce HDC vodka
Directions:
In a medium pan over high heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Once cooled, add lemon juice, lemon rind, mint and vodka. Whisk together well. Pour into a shallow baking pan and freeze until completely frozen. Once frozen solid, blend using an immersion blender or food processor. Return to pan or other container and let freeze completely again. Once completely frozen solid, the sorbet is ready to serve.
