Strawberry Lemonade Mascarpone Sorbet

So, today’s my birthday. The big 3-5.

Woo. Hoo.

Admittedly, birthdays are not something I particularly look forward to anymore. My almost-four-year-old, however, thinks they are the most exciting thing to ever exist (aside from Thor and Santa Claus). His birthday is in a couple weeks, and it is all he has talked about for a month now.

Ah, how things change as you get older.

I am not in denial or even resistant to getting older. I’m at peace with where I am in life right now, so it’s not a “I wish I was 22 again!” type of feeling. It’s just that birthdays aren’t really….exciting after a certain point. It’s just another day in the life where people feel more compelled than usual to wish you “a good one.” Blah.

So! To put a little pep in my step today, I made myself a treat. In the form of sorbet! In a flavor that only I will enjoy (at least in my household). And it is DELIGHTFUL.

It’s so good, in fact, that I may make this over and over again, regardless of birthday status. It is incredible.

I love anything citrusy and everything tart, which is why I will always gravitate toward lemon or lime desserts. I know, I know. This aligns more with the taste of an elderly woman, but I don’t care. I love it.

Give me a glass of lemonade and I am one happy girl. That’s really the inspiration for today’s recipe. I wanted a frozen lemonade situation. Then I started thinking about ice cream bases and how it’s tricky when working with something very acidic, like fresh lemon.

So I went with mascarpone cheese as my creamy element, and I’m calling this a sorbet! Even though it’s probably more like a sherbet. Whatever you want to call it, it’s flippin’ delish.

When developing this recipe, I initially thought I would do straight lemon. And then I realized that I had purchased waaaay too many strawberries that week. We go through them like crazy in our house because they are one of the few antioxident-laden foods that Kieran loves. I serve them to him at almost every meal.

I, however, went a little nuts with the buy one, get one strawberry sale and had two too many containers in the fridge. So! I decided to add some strawberries to my sorbet, because who doesn’t love a strawberry lemonade?!

And the result?

Heavenly.

Just look at that color! It’s so cutely pink! And the mascarpone cheese…OMG, it yields the creamiest, dreamiest texture. I adore the stuff. I need to use it more in my cooking in general.

How’s that for a resolution? Use more mascarpone. Done and done.

This sorbet is tart and sweet, just like lemonade, and loaded with fresh berry flavor. The creaminess tones down the tart punch in a good way. And the texture is to die for!

I am one happy girl right now.

Happy birthday to me.

Strawberry Lemonade Mascarpone Sorbet

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• Yield: 1 pint of sorbet 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• Pinch of fine salt
• ½ cup hulled and halved strawberries
• 2 lemons
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

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Instructions

1. Whisk together the sugar, water, and salt in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water.
2. Add in the strawberries. Peel the lemons and add in the lemon peel (set aside the peeled lemons for later). Simmer for a few minutes and then remove the pan from the heat.
3. Allow the syrup to cool completely to room temperature, which will allow the strawberry and lemon flavors to fully infuse.
4. Once the syrup is cooled, squeeze in the juice of the peeled lemons and then add the entire mixture to a blender. Blend on high until everything is completely smooth and pureed.
5. Pass the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Discard the solids.
6. Stir the softened mascarpone cheese into the strawberry lemon syrup until smooth and creamy. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
7. Churn the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the churned sorbet to an airtight container and chill in the freezer for at least 2 hours before scooping and serving.
8. Serve garnished with sliced strawberries.