Strawberry-Banana Sorbet
I've been whipping up frozen desserts ever since I got my first Cuisinart food processor 22 years ago. Back then, the instructions in the owner's manual were to put frozen strawberries and a whole bunch of sugar into the processor and trickle in milk or cream as the processor worked. These days, I skip the sugar, add frozen bananas for creaminess and sweetness, and use just a little soymilk to get the right consistency. The result is absolutely delicious, even on an unseasonably cold evening in May.
I try to keep several different types of frozen fruit on-hand to make sorbets and smoothies. Frozen peaches and mangoes make wonderful sorbets and can be found in most supermarkets. Another favorite of mine is the "smoothie blend" combination of frozen fruit that includes mango, pineapple, and strawberries. You can also freeze canned pineapple and make an incredible sorbet using it alone or with bananas. It's so much fun to think of new combinations of this healthy and easy dessert.
Strawberry-Banana Sorbet
This makes about 3 large servings. Add an extra frozen banana or cup of fruit for each additional serving.
2 frozen bananas (peel ripe bananas and wrap with plastic wrap before freezing solid)
2 cups frozen strawberries (or fruit of choice)
non-dairy milk
sweetener of choice (liquid sweeteners, such as rice syrup or agave nectar, dissolve best)
Take the frozen bananas out of the freezer and break them into 3 or 4 pieces. Place them and the strawberries into the food processor and allow them to sit for about 10 minutes, to thaw only slightly.
Cover and start the food processor. (Don't be surprised when the processor bucks like an angry bull when the blade hits that frozen fruit!) With it running, add just a little bit of "milk" (you can also use water or juice here) to help the fruit blend smoothly. I recommend about 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid for the amount of fruit used here. Stop the processor from time to time and scrape down the sides. Keep processing until the fruit is the smooth consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Add sweetener to taste (I use a little bit of stevia) and process briefly one more time.
Serve immediately. Or you can put the whole processor into the freezer until you're ready to eat and give it another blending right before serving. The sorbet can also be stored in a plastic container for up to a few days and re-processed to soften.
I try to keep several different types of frozen fruit on-hand to make sorbets and smoothies. Frozen peaches and mangoes make wonderful sorbets and can be found in most supermarkets. Another favorite of mine is the "smoothie blend" combination of frozen fruit that includes mango, pineapple, and strawberries. You can also freeze canned pineapple and make an incredible sorbet using it alone or with bananas. It's so much fun to think of new combinations of this healthy and easy dessert.
Strawberry-Banana Sorbet
This makes about 3 large servings. Add an extra frozen banana or cup of fruit for each additional serving.
2 frozen bananas (peel ripe bananas and wrap with plastic wrap before freezing solid)
2 cups frozen strawberries (or fruit of choice)
non-dairy milk
sweetener of choice (liquid sweeteners, such as rice syrup or agave nectar, dissolve best)
Take the frozen bananas out of the freezer and break them into 3 or 4 pieces. Place them and the strawberries into the food processor and allow them to sit for about 10 minutes, to thaw only slightly.
Cover and start the food processor. (Don't be surprised when the processor bucks like an angry bull when the blade hits that frozen fruit!) With it running, add just a little bit of "milk" (you can also use water or juice here) to help the fruit blend smoothly. I recommend about 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid for the amount of fruit used here. Stop the processor from time to time and scrape down the sides. Keep processing until the fruit is the smooth consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Add sweetener to taste (I use a little bit of stevia) and process briefly one more time.
Serve immediately. Or you can put the whole processor into the freezer until you're ready to eat and give it another blending right before serving. The sorbet can also be stored in a plastic container for up to a few days and re-processed to soften.
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free
Labels: gluten-free
posted by SusanV at 8:27 AM
11 Comments:
that looks incredible...
Oooooh, I feel cooler just looking at that sorbet (it's 102 degrees here today!).
That looks fantastic! Now I know what to do with the fruit in my freezer!
i have thought of doing something like this before with my food processor but i have been hesitant because in the manual that came with my food processor, it says: "Never process food that is so hard or firmly frozen, that it cannot be piereced with the tip of a sharp knife." and goes on to say you could damage the blade and/or motor. so i decided that frozen fruit would fall under that catagory....=( do you think i should try though?
I make these all the time, they're so good! If you throw in a date or fig you don't even need a sweetener. Love your blog, keep up the good work!
I love that you've been doing the sorbet/smoothie thing for so many years. That's really cool. I also love the smoothie you made. YUM!
Anonymous--I think that if you let the fruit sit outside the freezer for at least 10 minutes--until you can pierce it--your food processor should work fine. BUT--I'm not an expert on any processor other than the one I own, so I can't say with absolute certainty that yours will work. I know that some models just don't have the power, so please don't risk your motor on account of anything I say!
Too funny! I know that "bucking bull" action well. Lucky my food processor is heavy duty enough to take the regular abuse I give it. Barbara
Mmmm! I made this the other night for dinner as I wasn't very hungry, it was delicious!
Usualy I add more liquid to make some kind of softy but this is even nicer.
Would this recipe work with reduced balsamic vinegar?
As the sweetener? Hmmm. I'd be afraid it would overwhelm the taste of the fruit. But you could add it a little at a time and see.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home