What If …

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People often ask writers where they get their ideas. I can honestly say I don’t know. No matter what inspiration-inducing trick I use, my pattern is always the same. No idea. … Idea!

The amount of time represented by those three dots varies. It could be nanoseconds. It could be days. And in some cases, I’m still waiting.

I could be in the shower and suddenly think of a new way to use the lemon thyme in my garden. I might draw inspiration from a recipe that almost made the mark. And then there are the times I simply wonder, “What if…”

Like last week, when my sister poured me a glass of PC’s Berry Blend juice. By the time I took my second gulp, “Hey, this tastes tangy,” had morphed into, “I bet this would make a great sorbet.”

And I was right.

This recipe follows the same technique as my Champagne and Grapefruit Sorbet. Got any ideas for other combinations?

Very Berry Sorbet
Printable recipe

Makes about 1 1/2 litres

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups Champagne or sparkling white wine (a sugar level of 3 is good)
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 cups no-sugar-added mixed berry juice (I used PC Berry Blend 100%, which is a mix of apple, blueberry, raspberry, black currant and cranberry)
  • 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
  • 1/4 cup frozen blueberries

Instructions

  1. Heat half the Champagne and all the sugar over medium-high heat.
  2. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in remaining Champagne and the juice.
  4. Add the frozen berries and puree in a blender or food processor. If you have trouble with seeds, you might want to strain the mixture through a sieve.
  5. Chill the mixture in the freezer until slushy.
  6. Finish the sorbet in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. (If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can mash the sorbet with a fork and refreeze. Once frozen, churn in a food processor or blender and freeze again. It won’t be as smooth, but will taste the same.)