secret recipe club: cherry sorbet

for this month's secret recipe club, i was on a mission for one thing: ice cream. luckily nichole at cookaholic wife has plenty to choose from. there's caramel smores ice cream, rocky road ice cream - which as nichole mentioned, is actually really hard to find here too, salty caramel ice cream (i have a version of this sitting in my freezer right now!), classic vanilla bean, trendy cake batter, sweet corn ice cream (i just can't quite get over the fact that it's corn to make it), coconut ice cream, apple pie ice cream (bookmarked for fall!), and cherry and brownie bite ice cream (this is on my short list, since i actually have homemade brownies sitting in my freezer). as you can see, nichole pretty much has ice cream tackled. i was this close to making her chocolate tacos, and while all of these choices sound delicious, they were all just a little too much. i wanted something not quite as heavy. something fruity. sorbet! after a quick search, this cherry sorbet was it! the only change i made: doubling the recipe to use up a pound of cherries i had sitting in my fridge. and am i glad i did.

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!
 
check out my previous secret recipe club posts: slow cooker beans & mushrooms, mojito chicken tacos, maple glazed whole wheat spiced apple pizza, pig out cookies, pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies, mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

cherry sorbet
adapted from cookaholic wife
serves 4

this recipe makes about 2 cups of sorbet (or half a quart), which easily serves 4, because unlike ice cream, a half cup serving is more than enough. if you're serving a larger crowd or simply want to make more, double or make one and a half times the recipe. the freezing time might be extended by a minute or two in your ice cream machine, but the rest of the steps remain the same.

1 pound (about 4 cups) black cherries, pitted
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. add all ingredients to a saucepan and place over medium high heat. stir frequently and bring to a boil. boil for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved and the cherries start to break down. let cool slightly.
2. use a food processor or blender to blend the mixture completely. strain with a fine mesh strainer to remove the skin. chill the mixture for a couple hours or overnight.
3. process in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions. i have an older version of this cuisinart and i let it go about 20 minutes. serve right out of the ice cream machine or transfer to a container and freeze solid. let sit out about 5 minutes to soften slightly and make it easier to scoop.