Summertime Sherbet

Day 103

I faithfully follow and try so many of Ree Drummond’s recipes after watching her show, The Pioneer Woman, that I couldn’t possibly include all of my attempts here. Sometimes, though, I happen upon one of her recipes that stands above the rest, and considering that all of her recipes are outstanding, that’s really saying something! If you haven’t watched The Pioneer Woman on Food Network, start today. She’s real, she’s funny, she’s a devoted Christian mother and wife, and she’s an inspirational cook, to boot. I can’t say enough nice things.

Copyright, Doug Kapustin Photography, 2015

Yesterday, while watching an episode, she made Cherry Pomegranate Sherbet. I had to try it. I rushed to the market for the ingredients, and less than 24 hours later, we had some of the best, most refreshingly creamy sherbet I’ve ever had in my life. Please try this. Follow the link below to The Pioneer Woman’s recipe, and I’ve also copied it here for your convenience.

Homemade ice cream of any sort reminds me of my childhood. My best friend growing up, Susan, had a wonderful grandmother who made homemade ice cream several times during the summer months on her farm. Her country cooking could not be rivaled. She would invite the whole family—and even a few of us who were honorary family members since we visited so often—over for a fish fry and an ice cream social. I remember peach, chocolate, and strawberry ice creams, churned from her old-fashioned, hand-cranked maker. We’d all take turns rotating the crank until it was ready, then we didn’t even wait for it to be frozen for a few hours to eat it; we just dug right in. It was perfect. I wish I could rewind time and enjoy a hot summer day, barefoot on the creek bed, waiting for the call that the fried catfish was ready, with ice cream soon to follow.

Make some of those memories with your family soon, and start with this sherbet recipe from The Pioneer Woman. You’ll be glad you did.

Here’s the link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/cherry-and-pomegranate-sherbet-recipe.html

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

*Note: I did make one change. Because I prefer very, very creamy sherbet, I actually adjusted the milk to cream ratio, in favor of heavy cream. So (I hope you’re sitting down for this decadent news…), I added 1 cup plus one tablespoon of heavy cream and ½ cup of whole milk. The result was a very, very creamy variation that I like. A lot. You decide.

Cherry Pomegranate Sherbet

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries

1 cup sugar

½ cup pomegranate juice

1 ½ cups whole milk* (see note above)

1 tbs. heavy cream* (see note above)

Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Add the cherries to a saucepan with the sugar and pomegranate juice. Bring to a slow boil and cook until the cherries are soft and the liquid is syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Add the cherries and juice to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, stopping short of totally liquefying it if you'd like a little pulp. Add the milk, cream and lemon juice and blend briefly.

Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions, and then transfer to an airtight freezer container and freeze for at least 24 hours before serving.

Photo by Taylor Fowler

P.S.- The Drummonds have a Basset Hound named Charlie who is the main character in a few children’s books. For obvious reasons, I’m smitten. Here’s Emmylou, waiting and hoping every day for a letter from Charlie.