I hear eggs and flour are hard to find right now, so how about a refreshing frozen treat for the weekend? This 3-Ingredient Raspberry-Mango Sorbet uses frozen fruit, which was well-stocked the last time I ventured to the grocery store. That was last week, but it seems like a lifetime ago.
what’s a sorbet?
Technically, sorbet is a frozen dessert made with water, sugar, and fruit or fruit puree. My version uses frozen fruit. The freezing breaks the fruit’s cell structure and releases the water as it defrosts. It also refreezes more quickly. The natural sugar in the mango helps keep it soft.
Sorbets do not contain cream, milk, or eggs, so they are usually much lower in fat than ice cream . They are usually vegan and gluten-free as well. See below for caveats.
Isn’t all sorbet vegan?
While there are no eggs or dairy in sorbet, the sweetener used might not be vegan, This recipe doesn’t call for added sweeteners, but commercial versions and classic recipes use a sugar syrup based on granulated sugar. And that’s where the vegan status gets jeopardized.
Granulated sugar is often refined with bone char to achieve the pristine white colour. If bone char is used, the sugar can’t be considered vegan. Organic cane sugar, however, doesn’t use bone char, which is why it’s slightly golden — and vegan.. Honey will also kick a sorbet out of the vegan category. Maple syrup is a good substitute.
Why does this sorbet contain booze?
This recipe calls for alcohol to keep the texture from getting granular and the sorbet from freezing solid. If you’ve ever frozen a bottle of vodka, you’ll know it stays liquid. That same principle works for the sorbet. The sorbet in this photos is a week old. Without stabilizers, homemade sorbet gets grainy much more quickly than store bought, but even a week in, it’s scoopable. The amount of alcohol you add is up to you, but don’t add too much or you’ll end up with mush.
how can sorbet contain gluten?
Gluten can creep into homemade sorbet via the alcohol used. Most distilled liquors are considered gluten-free, but some can sneak in through added favours. If you’re concerned about this, or cross-contamination, you can check out the distiller.
But I’m out of raspberries!
Use peaches. Or blueberries. Or cherries. Or strawberries. Or pineapple. Just keep 2/3 of the fruit mango and you’ll be fine. Oh yes, and don’t skip the booze.
i don’t have an ice cream maker
You don’t need one. The mango and the alcohol keep things creamy. All you need is a blender. A standard blender will work just fine. When testing the all-mango original version of this recipe (3-Ingredient Mango Sorbet), I tested a batch in my mother’s 60-year-old Oster. If my mom’s blender can handle this, chance are yours can, too.
Let the frozen raspberries and mango soften separately on the counter for 30 minutes. (Alternatively, thaw the frozen fruit slightly in a large microwave-safe bowl on Defrost for 5 minutes.) The raspberries can be totally defrosted but the mango chunks should still be cold, yet softened enough you can pierce them easily with a sharp knife.
Place the defrosted raspberries in a blender and pulse until smooth. Transfer the raspberry puree to a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl. Using the back of a ladle or large spoon, press the puree through the sieve to remove any seeds. Discard the seeds and return the strained raspberry puree to the blender.
Add the mango and alcohol. Blend on High until smooth, stopping the motor to scrape down the sides of the container, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour the sorbet into a freezer-safe container. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent ice from forming. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve. Return any uneaten sorbet to the freezer immediately.
Notes
* There is no sugar in this sorbet, so depending on how sweet your mangos are, you might want to use a sweetened liqueur like Cointreau instead of straight vodka.
