No, This is Not a Cosmo Sorbet

Seriously, it's not! I left out lime, triple sec, and it wasn't served at a bar to a woman saying "I want my cosmo no darker than my lips" (say that with a gravely accent and you'll understand what I mean). It's just a cranberry orange sorbet- I swear! Anyways, back to the sorbet itself... Last week, before heading to Atlanta I realized that I had a whole bag of cranberries in my fridge that were bound to expire while I was gone. So rather than let them expire, which is what usually happens, I threw them in a Zip-Lock bag and into the freezer. Upon returning from my gluttonous Christmas vacation, I decided that cranberry orange sorbet would be a nice 'healthy' diversion from my week of IPAs, biscuits and gravy (thanks Uncle Dan!), chocolate, and what turned into a very large serving of prosciutto on Christmas day.

While writing this post, it occurred to me that I threw out a fair number of rinds after juicing the oranges. There is almost always some waste as a result of cooking but, it never hurts to limit the amount of trash produced. Searching online, I found dragon fly in the kitchen and her recipe for orange zest sugar. Next time I buy oranges, this will most definitely be made!

After making the sorbet, I found it to be quite rich, possibly as a result of my heavy hand when measuring cranberries. That being said, I still enjoyed it thoroughly. Like many sorbets, it has a very clean taste and leaves your mouth refreshed after eating. This could definitely be a palate cleanser of sorts between courses at a fine restaurant.

Ingredients

Nutritional Info
Serving Size 1/2 cup Servings 8
Calories 113
Fat 0g
Sat Fat 0g
Carbs 28g
Sugar 21g
Protien .5g

• 1 1/2 cups cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• Grated zest from 1 orange
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (5-6 oranges)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons orange liqueur (optional- adds to the cosmo-ness)

Modified from, The Perfect Scoop

Equipment

*Nutritional Info from:
Livestrong.com/myplate
• Fruit juicer
• Fruit zester
• Food Processor
• Medium sauce pan (2-3 qt)
• Mixing bowl
• Sieve/ mesh strainer 
• Measuring Cups 
• Measuring Spoons 
• Whisk

Measure out the cranberries (frozen or fresh) and set aside.

 

 Zest an orange to mix in with the cranberries while they boil. The left over orange can then be juiced for the orange juice that will be needed later on. While you are at it, zest the remaining oranges and make some orange zest sugar! Thank you dragonfly in the kitchen for the idea.

In a medium sauce pan, bring the water, sugar, corn syrup, and cranberry/ orange zest mixture to a boil.

Side note:
In The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, he calls for 3/4 cup of sugar and no corn syrup. After my experiences with the Apple Cider Sorbet I decided to add corn syrup in place of some of the sugar. 

Let boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes is up, pour the mixture into a food processor and puree. I'd share my pic of the food processor but it made the sorbet look fairly unappealing. Once the cranberries have been thoroughly pureed, pour through a sieve into a medium sized bowl (2-3qt). Stir in the orange juice and or liquer.

Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. With how cold it is outside, you might even be able to cover it and put it on the porch- just make sure the critters don't find it! Once thoroughly chilled, freeze according to your ice cream machines instructions.