Summertime means an abundance of fresh cherries, which means I’m constantly searching for and creating cherry recipes. I started with a recipe for regular cherry sorbet, but wanted something creamier so stirred in buttermilk and whole milk before freezing. The result is a smooth, creamy ice cream/sorbet with tiny bits of cherry and a touch of sorbet iciness.
I couldn’t believe how hard it was to get good photos. The sorbet kept melting (because it’s so creamy, yum) and these two shots are the best of the lot. Just know that the sorbet tastes much, much better than my photos show!
The buttermilk not only adds a creaminess to the texture, but also adds a wonderful mellow flavor – almost cheesecake-y. This was fairly easy to throw together, but takes a little time since you have to cool down the cherry mixture for several hours before freezing. If you don’t have an ice cream freezer, just pour the mixture into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for at least four hours.
Oh, and that’s not parsley that sprouted out of the sorbet! I have some wonderful fresh mint growing on my porch and thought it looked quite pretty.
**** Creamy, smooth fresh cherry sorbet with bits of cherry.
- 1 lb fresh cherries halved and pitted
- 1 C water
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 C buttermilk
- 1/2 C whole milk
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In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, water, sugar and lemon juice over medium-low heat. Simmer and cook until the cherries are soft and cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Pour into a medium container and let cool to room temperature. After cooled off, refrigerate for several hours until well chilled.
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Puree the cherries and juice in a blender for 2-3 minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve and discard solids.
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Whisk the buttermilk and milk into the strained cherry mixture until well blended. Pour into your ice cream maker and process the mixture according to the maker's instructions (mine takes about 20 minutes). Then scoop into a freezer-proof lidded bowl and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours or overnight.
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When ready to serve, scoop the ice cream into bowls and let sit for 5 minutes before eating it.
If your cherries are not sweet, add 2 more tablespoons of sugar.
Cherry-Almond Ice Cream - add 1/2 tsp. almond extract when you add the milk to the mixture and make sure it's all whisked in very well.
Cherry-Chip Ice Cream - finely chop 1 to 2 oz. semisweet baking chocolate and stir in before freezing.