Mmmmm, oranges. “Not-hubby” bought a big bag of them a couple of weeks ago and there was no way we were ever going to get through that many before they died a gruesome death…so I juiced them and made sorbet. Not just any sorbet though, sorbet sweetened with coconut palm sugar instead of regular cane sugar.
I made a conscious decision a while back to cut processed cane sugar out of our diets so now I sweeten everything with honey, rice malt syrup, maple syrup or coconut palm sugar. For most things things I use honey but Not-hubby hates the stuff so since the orange sorbet was made with him in mind and my pantry was bare of rice malt syrup…oh and the price of maple syrup!….I chose to experiment with coconut palm sugar. Oh, my, goodness, it was a taste sensation…and talk about refreshing!!! A deeply flavoured sorbet with a real caramelly edge that doesn’t leave your mouth with that cloying aftertaste. I am in love!!! Next time I might just add a splash of vodka or Grand Marnier…and keep it away from the kids 😉
If you have an icecream maker then this is super simple. If you don’t have one, I suggest you go and get one 😉 About $30 to $40 will get you a simple contraption that is perfect to get you started on your frozen dessert making journey…then you’ll fall head over heals and opt for a bigger, more expensive but well worth the investment,whiz bang machine that has its own compressor, all the bells and whistles and can churn several batches in one day…a rainbow of flavours for your freezer.
Now of course, any sorbet is best made with freshly squeezed juice but good quality bottled stuff would work. Once you’ve fallen in love with making your own sorbet, not only will you want a top shelf icecream maker, you’ll be adding a juicer to your Christmas list…I did, haha.
So, without further delay………
Ingredients
3/4 cup of water
3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
2 1/2 cups of orange juice
Combine the coconut sugar and water in a small saucepan. Over a low heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved then increase the heat, bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix the sugar syrup with the juice and if using an icecream machine with no compressor, chill in the fridge for an hour or so.
Pour mixture into icecream maker and either set to desired setting or churn until it reaches the desired sonsistency. Store in the freezer for a couple of weeks.
The sorbet will harden somewhat in the freezer so is ideal straight from the icecream maker but it is still incredible…you just need to scrape a little harder 🙂
Related articles
- What is Coconut Sugar? Is it Healthier than Table Sugar? (fooducate.com)
- Coconut Palm Sugar: A Better Way To Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth (celiacchicks.com)
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