What If …
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
- Heat half the Champagne and all the sugar over medium-high heat.
- Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat and stir in remaining Champagne and the juice.
- 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.
- Chill the mixture in the freezer until slushy.
- 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.)