Sweet-Tart Grapefruit & Honey Sorbet Recipe | Foodal (2024)

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If you are looking for an elegant and light dessert to tickle your taste buds this week, you just found it.

When it comes to dessert, I personally love something that is tart, sweet, and tangy, all in one mouthful.

Particularly at this time of year when citrus is in season, adding it to recipes is like a bright light at the end of the dark winter tunnel that we have been dwelling in.

When I think of sorbet, I always think of a fancy dinner I went to when I was about five years old.

This was when my father was a big-time sales guy, so he would always have an annual appreciation dinner party for his top clients.

At that age, I was finally deemed “well-behaved” – at least well-behaved enough to make it through a fancy dinner – so I attended. I was in my fanciest dress, sitting next to my mom.

After the first course that I barely touched, a small bowl of what looked like ice cream was put in front of me. I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world.

I mean, there was ice cream in front of me. During dinner. Before I had to finish all my vegetables. I was in heaven.

Of course, when I got the spoon to my mouth, the flavor was not what I expected. Instead, it was light and fruity.

This was a totally new experience for me, and the smooth texture just melted in my mouth like nothing else ever had before.

Everyone at the table was so enamored with how much I was enjoying myself, they started passing me their sorbet just to see my eyes light up.

I am pretty sure my mom gave each of them a death stare each time they did. Getting through the rest of the night with a tantrum-throwing child coming down from a sugar high isn’t anyone’s idea of a nice way to end an evening…

I never got to experience another dinner like that after my father changed career paths, but I will always remember it as the night when I fell in love with sorbet.

This particular sorbet recipe is one of my all-time favorites. If you love grapefruit or any kind of citrus, trust me when I say it’ll soon become your favorite as well.

The balance in this creamy and fruity sorbet is one that is ideally centered between sweet and tart. You get the full flavor of the citrus fruit, mixed in with honey for sweetness and vanilla extract for added smoothness.

You can make it in whatever ice cream maker you have, and once you taste that first spoonful, you’ll feel like you are floating on a cloud of citrus happiness.

It will brighten up anyone’s day, and it serves as a delightful way to cleanse your palate at the end of, or even during, a fantastic meal.

Garnished with the spice of crystallized ginger, it’s an elegant, sweet treat that you won’t stop raving about.

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Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure Ingredients

If they are chilled, allow the grapefruit to reach room temperature. I left mine out on the counter the night before I started the recipe.

I used ruby red grapefruit for their sweetness and color, but other varieties like oro blanco can be used if you prefer.

Note that the white varieties are generally more tart, so you’ll want to use the higher amount of honey indicated in the ingredients list to balance the flavor of these.

Zest enough of the grapefruit with your favorite microplane or zester to get 1 tablespoon total.

Chop enough crystallized ginger to get a total of 1/4 cup. If you like, you can even make your own at home with our recipe.

Measure out the honey, salt, and vanilla extract as listed on the ingredients list.

Step 2 – Make Base

Peel and segment the grapefruit. Remove all pith, membranes, and seeds.

Add the fruit segments to a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth.

Add zest, honey, salt, and vanilla to the grapefruit. Process until combined.

Step 3 – Chill Base

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Step 4 – Churn

Add the chilled sorbet base to your ice cream maker.

Make the sorbet according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Step 5 – Freeze

Place sorbet mixture into a freezer-safe, airtight container.

Freeze until it attains your desired texture. I chilled mine for about 4 hours.

Set on the counter to defrost for about 20 minutes before scooping into bowls, and top with chopped ginger candy. Serve immediately.