This refreshing strawberry and elderflower sorbet is the perfect spring time treat.
A few years ago I discovered elderflower at Specialty Produce and was drawn to its beautiful fragrance. I had never seen or heard of elderflower until then. After a bit of research, I found that elderflowers grow mainly in Europe and are prolific in the spring. In the US, elderflowers can be found in the Pacific Northwest and even California.
People pick the aromatic blossoms from elderberry shrubs and transform them into beautiful concoctions. I didn't buy enough elderflowers to make my own cordial but I was able to find two elderflower products that I really liked--St Germain and Carmel Valley Co. When Vu and I took a whip of the cordial, we were blown away by the beautiful fragrant reminiscent of lychee and an indistinguishable floral note.
Fast forward to three years later, we are now growing our own elderflower. I only have one bush and it doesn't produce a lot but enough for me to make a few desserts. After countless culinary experiments-cake, tarts, panna cotta, cocktails, and frozen treats--this strawberry and elderflower sorbet came out on top. It has only a handful of ingredients but the result is an incredibly refreshing sorbet of sweet strawberries with beautiful note of elderflowers.
If you like elderflower, check out these recipes: elderflower panna cotta.
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 1 lb organic strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 16 oz when pureed)
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup elderflower cordial (Saint Germain brand)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat as soon as the sugar has dissolved and set aside to let it cool to room temperature.
- In a food processor or blender, puree the strawberries with lemon juice.
- Add the cooled syrup to the strawberry puree and blend again for a minute.
- Stir in the elderflower cordial until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour the strawberry mixture into an ice cream machine and churn till frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- When ready to serve, scoop sorbet into bowl and top with fresh strawberries and elderflower.
Moira
So refreshing!