Cranberry-Orange Sorbet–Beautiful & Refreshing Holiday Treat

It’s holiday time at Kitchenlane, and for the next several weeks I’ll be posting a series of recipes to help you add a festive air to your holiday celebrations. Because it’s such a busy season, I’ll lean in the direction of dishes that seem special without requiring a ton of ingredients or much fussing or prep time. Some of the recipes, like this gorgeous cranberry-orange sorbet, are brand new; others are old favorites shared from my files or cookbooks. And, good news–because cranberries naturally have a lot of pectin, this sorbet comes out smooth and stays smooth and readily “scoopable” even in a cold freezer.

Cranberry-Orange Sorbet

I’m guessing that like many people, you’re cooking, baking, and entertaining more than usual this month. My aim is to provide you (as well as my own guests and gift recipients) with recipes that taste good and look colorful and inviting, but which skip iffy petrochemical dyes and other additives. As you can see, this cranberry-orange sorbet has beautiful color–and it’s all natural! (For icing recipes that let you turn out pretty, synthetic dye-free cookies and other sweet treats, go here and here.) Many manufacturers’ are now reformulating their products to avoid food dyes and other additives, and I’m convinced this is the healthful thing to do in home cooking, too. Bright with the rich natural (and healthful) pigment in cranberries, this sorbet makes it easy!

Another basic goal of mine is to provide dishes that accommodate those with common dietary restrictions–like my gluten-free daughter-in-law and vegetarian sister-in-law. They tell me them  it can be a challenge to find anything to eat at holiday celebrations. Thoughtful hosts need to keep all their guests in mind.

If you don’t already, start considering cranberries a nearly perfect holiday ingredient. Besides lending naturally vibrant color to any table, they are fat-free, gluten-free, and vegan; easy to find and prep; and relatively economical. And they have a bracing fruit taste that mingles well with other sweet and savory flavors.

Here, for example, they marry well with orange and lemon–the combo is quite amazing actually! But they also combine nicely with cherries (check out the cranberry-sour cherry crumb bars here), raspberries, pomegranates, and figs. They are equally good in certain savory fare: I often toss some dried sweetened cranberries into a holiday chicken curry, chutney, and chicken salad, and into an herbed stuffing, all with excellent results.

Cranberry-Orange Sorbet

 

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Light, bright, zesty, and beautiful in color, this easy cranberry-orange sorbet makes a fabulous addition to the holidays. Serve it as a palate refresher, simple dessert, or to dress up fruit cups at a holiday brunch or lunch. It can be made days ahead and is gluten-free, fat-free, and vegetarian. Tip: To make the recipe without an ice cream freezer, freeze the mixture in a shallow dish, then break up the layer into chunks and process until smooth in a food processor. Return the sorbet to the freezer to firm up a bit before serving.

Author: Nancy Baggett

Serves: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries (if frozen measure, then thaw)
• 2¾ cups water
• 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
• 2 green cardamom pods or allspice berries, lightly crushed (or substitute 2 pinches ground cardamom or ground allspice
• 1 cup orange juice
• ⅓ to ½ cup fresh lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the cranberries, water, sugar, and spices in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat. Lower the heat so the mixture boils gently and cook, stirring occasionally until the cranberries have burst and are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
2. Force the mixture through a very fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. Stir in the orange juice and lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate, covered, until very cold, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days if desired.
3. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a pre-chilled airtight non-reactive container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Makes a very generous 1 quart.

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