Lemon Verbena Sorbet Recipes

LEMON SORBET

Steps:

• Heat 250ml water, the sugar and the lemon peel in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved then bring the mixture to the boil. Cook for 3 mins then turn off the heat and leave to cool. Pick out the lemon peel and discard. Measure out 100ml of lemon juice and add to the sugar mixture along with the vodka if using.
• Pour into a freezer box and freeze for 1hr 30 mins then mix up with a whisk to break up and incorporate the ice crystals (which will be starting to form at the edges) before returning to the freezer.
• Keep mixing the sorbet once an hour for 4 hours to break up the ice crystals. Stop mixing when firm but still scoopable then store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Serve scoops of sorbet decorated with a few curls of lemon zest.

PEACH AND LEMON VERBENA SORBET

Steps:

• Put sugar and 1 1/2 cups water into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add zest. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add lemon verbena. Cover; let stand 20 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Let syrup cool completely.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop peaches, and place in a large bowl. Crush with your hands or a potato masher, then pass through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl; discard solids (you should have at least 1 1/2 cups puree). Add cooled syrup and vodka or grappa to peach puree; stir to combine. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours (up to 4 hours).
• Freeze peach mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a chilled airtight container; freeze at least 2 hours (up to 2 weeks). Let sorbet stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

SORBET A LA VERVEINE - HOMEMADE LEMON VERBENA SORBET

Steps:

• Grind the lemon verbena leaves or scented geranium leaves (and fresh herbs, if using, such as: 1 cup sweet cicely leaves, 6 rose geranium leaves, 1/4 cup French or Mexican tarragon leaves, or 1/4 cup mint leaves) and sugar together in a food processor until the mixture turns into a bright green paste, about 30 seconds; stop to scrape down the sides as necessary.
• Add the lemon juice and process for 15 seconds longer, then add the water.
• Strain the resulting liquid through a fine sieve to remove any bits of leaf.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
• Note: If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can strain and freeze, stirring every half an hour until done.

LEMON SORBET

Steps:

• Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, remove from the heat, and cool. Combine the syrup with the lemon and zest and pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. After the sorbet is made, transfer to an airtight container. Cover tightly and freeze until ready to serve.

LEMON SORBET IN LEMON CUPS

Steps:

• Combine the water and 2 cups of the sugar in a small saucepot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the sugar is just dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
• Set a strainer over a 2-cup liquid measure.
• Cut off the top quarter of 8 lemons, then cut a very thin slice from the bottom to make a flat base. Squeeze the juice from the lemon tops into the liquid measure; discard the tops and bottoms.
• Stand up a cut lemon and, using a paring knife, cut around the inner edge of the peel, so you cut the flesh away from the peel. Switch to a spoon and use the incision as a guide to scoop out all the flesh from the inside of the lemon, leaving behind a lemon "cup." Place the flesh in the strainer over the liquid measure and squeeze out all the juice. Repeat with the other 7 lemons. Freeze the lemon cups until ready to serve.
• Zest and juice the remaining 4 lemons; reserve 1 tablespoon zest for the topping. You'll need 2 cups of fresh lemon juice in all; if you have any excess, store it in the fridge or freezer for future use.
• Mix together the cooled simple syrup and the 2 cups lemon juice. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions. Remove the sorbet to an airtight container and hold in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.
• On a small plate, mix together the reserved lemon zest and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Spread the mixture in an even layer and set aside for at least 30 minutes to dry out slightly.
• When ready to serve, scoop the sorbet into the frozen lemon cups and top with sugared lemon zest. Serve immediately.

LEMON VERBENA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside of the pan with a double thickness of foil. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.
• To make crust: Pulse vanilla wafers in a food processor into fine crumbs. Add oil and pulse to blend. Press crumb mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan. (Rinse and dry the workbowl.)
• To make filling: Process cottage cheese in food processor until very smooth and silky, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice. Add cream cheese and process until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and salt; process until well blended. Add eggs and pulse several times just until mixed in. Sprinkle in lemon verbena (or lemon balm); mix with a rubber spatula. (Do not process.) Scrape the filling into the crust-lined pan.
• Place the cheesecake in a shallow roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1 inch up the outside of the springform pan. Bake until the edges are set but the center quivers slightly, 50 to 55 minutes. Turn off the oven. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour.
• Remove foil from pan. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
• To make topping: About 1/2 hour before serving, rinse strawberries. Set aside 3 whole berries for garnish; hull remaining berries and slice into a bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and toss to coat. Let stand until strawberries are juicy, 20 to 30 minutes.
• To serve, place cheesecake on a serving platter and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan; remove pan rim. Make 3 lengthwise cuts in each whole berry; press lightly and arrange fanned berries in the center of the cheesecake. Garnish with a sprig of lemon verbena (or lemon balm). Cut cheesecake into slices and place on dessert plates. Top each serving with strawberries and juice and garnish with another lemon verbena (or lemon balm) sprig.

LEMON VERBENA SORBET

Steps:

• In a food processor, grind the lemon verbena leaves and sugar together in a food processor until the mixture turns into a bright green paste, about 30 seconds. Stop to scrape down the sides as necessary. Add the lemon juice and process for 15 seconds longer, then add the water. Strain the resulting liquid through a fine sieve to remove any bits of leaf. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's direction.

LEMON VERBENA SYRUP

Steps:

• In large stainless-steel pot, combine the wine, water and sugar. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook about 10 minutes, until the syrup reduces by half, to 3 cups. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon verbena leaves, cover pan halfway and let steep until cool.
• Transfer to a capped bottle or covered bowl and refrigerate, for as long as a week. Strain lemon verbena leaves from the chilled syrup before using it as a sweetener for lemonade or ice tea, as a base for a spritzer or as a topping for cut fresh fruit.

LEMON SORBET

Steps:

• Place sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes. Cool completely. , Stir in lemon zest and juice. Fill cylinder of ice cream maker no more than two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions. , Transfer sorbet to a freezer container, allowing headspace for expansion. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. If desired, serve in cookie cups with lemon wedges and top with additional lemon zest.

BLUEBERRY AND LEMON VERBENA SORBET

Steps:

• Process the blueberries and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice and syrup.
• Pour mixture through a fine sieve into another large bowl; discard solids. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container; freeze at least 4 hours or up to 1 week before serving.

LEMON SORBET

Steps:

• In a saucepan, stir together the diced lemon peel, 1 cup of water and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool.
• In a pitcher or bowl, stir together the lemon syrup with peel, lemon juice and mineral water. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Garnish each serving with a twist of lemon peel.
• If you do not have an ice cream maker, you may freeze it in a tall canister. Freeze for 1 1/2 hours. Remove and stir with a whisk. Return to the freezer and stir about once every hour for about 4 hours. The more times you stir, the more air will be incorporated, resulting in a lighter finished product.

LEMON SORBET

Steps:

• With a sharp paring knife, cut off the tops of the lemons (about one inch). With a teaspoon, remove the pulp from the lemons, being careful not to damage the shells.
• Extract the juice from the lemon pulp by pressing it through a sieve into a bowl. Reserve one cup of the juice.
• Put lemon shells including tops on a tray in the freezer.
• To make the sorbet, combine water and sugar in a heavy saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Boil for three minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat and add lemon juice and lemon rind. Allow to cool.
• Put mixture into sorbet machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Beat the egg white and fold into the sorbet. Store in freezer.
• Just before serving, fill the lemon shells with the sorbet, decorate each with a mint leaf, and replace the tops.