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Prep time
4 hours
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Cook time
10 minutes
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makes
About a quart
Author Notes
This recipe is a nod to my Dad, a huge sorbet fan whose favorite cocktail was simply Campari with soda water and a twist of lemon. The resulting recipe came just in time for his would-be birthday, and it feels aptly bittersweet to know with certainty that he would have loved it.
I experimented with incorporating soda water (and even with ways to retain its effervescence), but began instead to lean toward the season’s bounty of fruit. Delicate, floral white peaches would offer a smooth but pulpy texture and a delightfully mild blank canvas for the Campari to shine.
With its bitterness akin to grapefruit peel and its notes of aromatic herbs, the liqueur comes through with a clean, reviving mouthfeel in each cool, juicy spoonful. Lemon juice provides brightness in flavor and color, while the whisper of salt and sugar offer a perfect balance to the palate.
There’s no need to be tempted to go to the trouble of peeling the fruit: The speckles of skin give character to the texture, taste and look of the sorbet — and the peach fuzz vanishes in the blending process.
One note: This sorbet is not very sweet; if your fruit is especially un-sweet and/or you prefer a sweeter sorbet, feel free to increase the amount of sugar in the syrup up to 1/2 cup. —ButterSugarFlowers
Ingredients
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1/2 cup
Campari
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1/4 cup
Granulated sugar
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1/4 teaspoon
Table salt
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2 1/4 pounds
Ripe white peaches
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2 tablespoons
Fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained, preferably Meyer
Directions
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In a small saucepan, combine Campari, sugar and salt. Place over medium-low heat and stir regularly until sugar and salt have completely dissolved and syrup is at a low simmer — about 3 minutes. Remove syrup from heat and let cool, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Meanwhile, chill the peaches and lemon juice. (If desired, all of the above can be done a day ahead.)
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Rinse and dry the peaches. Cut into quarters or smaller; discard pits. Place peach pieces in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth with no fruit chunks; there will be small speckles of peach skin. Add ½ cup of the Campari syrup (use any extra as you wish), then the lemon juice, mixing until completely incorporated.
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Transfer mixture to bowl of ice cream maker and churn until at least soft-serve consistency. Transfer into a loaf pan or other sturdy container from which you’ll be able to scoop. Cover tightly and freeze for at least six hours or overnight.
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When ready to serve, remove sorbet from freezer, uncover, and let sit at room temperature for five minutes or until consistency is soft enough to scoop. Store tightly covered in freezer for up to a week or two.
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