One thing I know very well about myself…I’m usually very lazy, and have trouble finishing things. I swear, most of my knitting projects (because I knit too, as well as sew) sit unfinished and still on the needles for years before they might just maybe get finished. Honestly, it’s something I get ridiculously frustrated with myself over, and while I wish I could change….surprise surprise, I’m too lazy to make the effort most of the time! And on that note, I’m going to just put out a blanket apology right now for the occasional long gaps between posts. I can pretty much promise they’ll happen every once in a while, but I can also promise that I will try to make to make sure they don’t happen too often.
This recipe was a bit of an experiment, and one done with high hopes of it turning out delicious. Thankfully I was so so right….it’s fantastic. I was inspired by two recipes: ‘Cardamom Poached Apricots’ from The Broken Bread, and ‘Fresh Peach Sorbet’ from Making Thyme for Health. I hadn’t thought about making any sort for frozen treat like this without having an ice cream maker, so when I stumbled on Sarah’s recipe at for a no-churn version using almond coconut milk, I thought it a great time to test it out. My boss at work had given me a bunch of fresh peaches that she’d picked with her kids, so it was really the perfect summer treat to use them up. I recently made Kristan’s poached apricots, which were amazing, so the idea of adding cardamom to the peaches seemed like it would be a great flavor combination: a bit of sweet, a bit of spice, and add a bit of lemon zest to brighten everything brilliantly.
About a week ago, I decided to make a sage simple syrup, because I have a very rapidly growing sage plant in my garden and I don’t want to let it go to waste! It’s such an easy thing to make, and somehow something I’d never done before. Of course, I made an extra large batch and now have a mason jar full in my freezer, as well as they one in the fridge. When I decided to make the peach sorbet, and realized I wanted to use cardamom in it, I figured what better than to also make a cardamom simple syrup? A wonderfully delicate flavor in an uncomplicated recipe, what could be better?
I love recipes that use minimal ingredients for incredible flavor, and this sorbet is one of those: fresh peaches (frozen first, preferably done day of, but store bought would work in a pinch), coconut milk, lemon zest, and the cardamom syrup. The syrup can be made even a few days ahead of time, but if you decide to make it the same day as the sorbet, be sure you give yourself at least an hour and half so that the cardamom can steep long enough in the sugar water and then cool to room temperature. While you might be able to make this using ground cardamom, it most likely won’t strain well and you’ll have the grains in the syrup. Definitely use pods instead (the ones I use are from Swad), and crush them with the side of a knife like you would garlic. You only need a few tablespoons for the sorbet, but I can promise that the syrup is so wonderful that you’ll be more than glad to have the rest of it ready in your fridge. It’s fantastic in coffee, by the way, especially iced coffee.
Peach Cardamom Sorbet and Cardamom Simple Syrup
Bright, fresh, and with a hint of spice, this sorbet is summer in a bowl.
Ingredients
- For the cardamom simple syrup:
- 1C water
- 1C white sugar (I use raw cane sugar)
- 5-6 cardamom pods, crushed
- For the sorbet:
- 4C diced peach (~1inch cubes)
- 1 can coconut milk
- 3T cardamom simple syrup
- 1/2t lemon zest
Directions
- Step 1 First things first: freeze the peaches. Give the cubes as much space as your freezer will allow, they’ll freeze more evenly and be easier to dump in a blender later! Allow to freeze thoroughly, for 3-4 hours.
- Step 2 Make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring to be sure the sugar doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Step 3 Lower the heat a little bit, and add the crushed cardamom pods. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Step 4 Remove from the heat, and let the cardamom steep in the sugar water for 30-60 minutes. Stir it occasionally, and certainly taste it. The flavor will continue to get a bit more intense , so if you’re happy after the 30 minutes then you’re just about done.
- Step 5 Strain the syrup into a jar (I prefer glass), and let sit until cooled to room temperature before you close it.
- Step 6 Once the peaches are frozen and the syrup is ready, place the four sorbet ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust if necessary.
- Step 7 Pour into a freezer-safe container to set, I used a metal bread pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 4-6 hours, or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
- Step 8 Enjoy!
