Recipes

Strawberry and Elderflower Sorbet

A wonderfully refreshing and decadent dessert for fancy summer parties. This can be made in advance then served scooped into pretty tea cups and decorated with tiny pansy or borage flowers.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Freezing time: 6-8 hours

300ml/ ½ pt water

150g/5oz caster sugar

500g/1lb 2 oz strawberries, hulled

3 tablespoons elderflower cordial, undiluted

Juice ½ lemon

1 egg white

Tiny pansy or herb flowers to decorate

1. Pour the water into a saucepan, add the sugar and heat gently, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and boil for one minute then leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile puree the strawberries in a food processor or liquidiser until smooth. Pour into a sieve set over a bowl and press the puree through with the back of a spoon then discard the seeds.
3. Stir the puree into the sugar syrup then mix in the undiluted elderflower cordial and lemon juice.
4. Pour into a non-stick roasting tin or shallow plastic container – the larger the container the shallower the syrup will be and the quicker it will freeze. Place in the freezer and freeze for four hours or until semi frozen.
5. Lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Mash the semi frozen sorbet with the fork to break up the ice crystals then beat in the egg white. Spoon into a plastic container. Cover and seal, freeze until firm enough to scoop.
6. Scoop sorbet into teacups, decorate with flowers and serve with soft amaretti or small shortbread biscuits. 

Tip: If you have an ice cream machine, churn the strawberry syrup in the pre-cooled machine for about 20 minutes, until semi frozen and then gradually pour the lightly beaten egg white through the feeder tube at the top. Continue churning until the sorbet is thick enough to scoop then serve immediately or transfer to a plastic container and store in the freezer until required.