Lavender Cantaloupe Sorbet

Dessert: Lavender cantaloupe sorbet

Back Story: Seeking inspiration for tonight’s dessert, I consulted our trusty spice cabinet. I knew I wanted to make a flavorful sorbet with fresh fruit but didn’t really know what herb I wanted to use to complement the fruit. I’ve seen some sorbets with basil but–I’ve had a lot of basil recently, so I wanted to try something different. I remembered that I had a baggie of cooking lavender that a friend gave to me after a trip to Napa Valley. I thought: PERFECT!

Method:
You need to have an ice cream maker. We have a Cusinart. It’s great (MF Secret Weapon)! Just remember to put the vessel in the freezer a couple of days before you want to make ice cream or sorbet (hardest part of this recipe).

Fruit: Remove/discard seeds and scrape out the flesh of the whole cantaloupe. Transfer to a container and freeze for one hour or more.

Syrup: Make a simple syrup by heating 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar over medium heat until dissolved. Add 3 teaspoons of cooking lavender. Stir with a wooden spoon. Cover and let steep for one hour. I was in a hurry, so I strained the lavender syrup into a bowl and submerge that in ice water to cool off quickly.

Sorbet: Remove the cantaloupe from the freezer and purée it until smooth. Add the strained simple syrup and purée again. Transfer to your ice cold ice cream maker vessel and blend for 15-20 minutes until it gets thick. Serve immediately or if you want a thicker consistency, transfer to an air tight container and freeze for two hours. So yummy!!!!!