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
- Yield: 1 pint of sorbet 1x
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Allow the syrup to cool completely to room temperature, which will allow the strawberry and lemon flavors to fully infuse.
- 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.
- Pass the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Discard the solids.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve garnished with sliced strawberries.
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
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