mmmm mondays....

sooo sorry we have been mia as of late. this time of year is generally a busy, and our big family is not exempt from that. we have celebrated anniversaries & numerous birthdays, welcomed babies into the world, worked, kiddos finished school, hit the beach for a few days, attended several weddings, hosted baby showers, and you know, done the normal day-to-day stuff too! hopefully, we will be back to this whole blogging thing in full force, because we know you miss us. jk, jk. we do have a lot of fun stuff to catch you up on...so here's to a fresh start on this monday!

Campari-Citrus Sorbet

each recipe makes 1.5 quarts sorbet

Grapefruit Sorbet

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

3 cups grapefruit juice

1/2 cup Campari

Orange Sorbet

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

3 cups orange juice

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup Campari

Mix the water and sugar together in a small pan over a low heat, and bring up to boil until the sugar dissolves. Allow the simple syrup to boil for exactly 4 minutes (this will give the sorbet the best consistency). Remove from heat and cool (makes a little over 1 cup).

Combine the citrus juice and Campari and add 1 cup of the cooled syrup. Adjust to taste: for the grapefruit sorbet, you may want to add a tablespoon or two extra syrup if you prefer it less tart. Remember, the mixture will taste slightly sweeter in liquid form than it does when frozen.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s directions (if you don't have an ice cream machine, don't despair! They also make great popsicles. After churning, allow sorbet to set in the freezer at least two hours. Serve in a bowl, or in a hollowed-out orange or grapefruit.

For presenting like a fruit:

Cut 1/2 inch off the top of an orange, just enough to expose the fruit inside. Hollow out all pulp with a spoon. Scrape the inside as clean as possible, down to the white pith. Fill with sorbet, replace the top slice of peel, and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours. (There may well be a better way to freeze sorbet in this shape – if anyone has bright ideas, let me know!)

To plate, remove from freezer and carefully cut off the orange peel with a sharp knife, leaving the sorbet intact. You may need to re-shape slightly to smooth the sorbet surface. Top with a single clove, and herb leaves – basil or mint leaves work well. Serve to impressed guests.