Dark Cherry Vanilla Sherbet

It’s been hot.  I don’t know if any of you remember last spring, but in Colorado we had one of the rainiest on record.   Having just moved to Boulder, I remember thinking that the slogan “300+ days of sunshine a year” was simply a gimmick.  By Memorial Day, we’d had what felt like 60 days of rain and clouds.  The math certainly wasn’t adding up.

This Spring seems to be a completely different story. Our grass is already dying, Ollie’s already had two haircuts, and we’ve already busted out the Arnold Palmers.  Summer is here.

Since its going to be 80°F today, I thought I’d try to get ahead of the heat and make a sherbet.  It’s been years since I’ve had one, but the taste is still the same: sweet refreshing. It’s also about 10x easier (and faster) than ice cream!

Cherry-Vanilla Sherbet
Makes about 1 quart

You will need:
~ 4 cups sweet dark cherries (I used frozen)
~ 2 cups whole milk
~ 1 cup sugar
~ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
~ 3 tsp fresh lemon juice

First, combine cherries, milk, and sugar in a food processor.  Process for about 5 minutes until smooth (some cherry bits will remain, but that’s okay).  If you want a perfectly smooth sherbet, then strain mixture.  I liked the texture and left the bits.

Add vanilla and lemon juice and mix for another minute.

Following your ice cream maker’s instructions, churn and freeze the sherbet.  It is best served right away.