Pomegranate Sorbet

From Memorable Recipes: To Share with Family and Friends, by Renee Behnke and Cynthia Nimms

Now that wonderful pomegranate juice is readily available year-round, this recipe is a snap. You can omit the Campari—a bitter Italian apéritif—if you don’t have it on hand, but the addition gives the sorbet a real hit of flavor. Sometimes I’ll sprinkle each serving with afew fresh pomegranate seeds and perhaps a bit of fresh chopped mint. Makes 1 quart

1½ cups water
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup light corn syrup
1 cup pure pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons Campari (optional)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Stir the pomegranate juice, Campari, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the sugar syrup. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Menu Ideas: This tangy sorbet is wonderful as a small taste between courses or at the end of a meal with a few fresh raspberries or sliced pitted black Bing cherries on top. Add a few sugar cookies from your favorite bakery alongside and you have a delightful and incredibly easy way to finish any meal.

Do-Ahead Tips: The sorbet can be made up to 3 weeks in advance and frozen in an airtight container. It can become quite hard in the freezer; let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes if needed. Often I’ll simply scrape the sorbet with a spoon to serve, rather than scooping it as I do for ice cream.3. Pour the chilled sorbet base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and freeze until set, at least 2 hours. The sorbet may need to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to be soft enough to scoop.