Pineapple Sorbet Recipe (Vegan)

I was given a beautifully ripe pineapple the other day from my friend Laura.  When I asked her earlier how to tell if a pineapple is ripe, she said that it's ripe if the bottom of the pineapple is yellowish and if you can easily pull a couple of the spiky leaves out of the middle of the top.  I decided to make pineapple sorbet out of the pineapple she gave me.  I am so glad I did!  It's fantastic to say the least, and currently my favorite sorbet.  The light yellow color of the sorbet is beautiful, and it is so fresh tasting.  If you can get a pineapple on sale, it's a really affordable sorbet your family will love.

Pineapple Sorbet Recipe

1 ripe pineapple
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Cut away the outer shell from the pineapple, and discard all of the woody parts. Cube the pineapple core into small squares and add them to a medium-sized pot. Add the water and sugar and heat to boiling over High heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and then pour it into a blender and "liquify" it.  Pour the pineapple puree through a mesh strainer to strain out any pulp and fibers.  Add the strained pineapple puree to an automatic ice cream maker to make the sorbet (I run the ice cream maker for 16 minutes).  Makes 1 pint (2 cups) of sorbet.

Ice Cream Pie Cupcake Recipe

Happy Birthday, Sam! I made these wonderful "Ice Cream Pie Cupcakes" for Sam's birthday today. The idea to make these frozen cupcakes just came to me out of the blue, and I am very happy with how they turned out. The combination of the shortbread crust with vanilla ice cream and blackberry sorbet is so tasty. I've posted my recipes for the crust and sorbet previously, this is just a new way to put them together for a fun dessert.

Ice Cream Pie Cupcake Recipe

1 recipe of Vegan Shortbread (pie crust)
1 recipe of Blackberry Sorbet
1/2 pint of vanilla ice cream of your choice (I used Coconut Bliss vegan ice cream)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make the Vegan Shortbread pie crust recipe. Instead of pressing the dough into a pie pan, spray 8 sections of a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, divide the dough into 8 pieces, and press the dough into each of the muffin sections to yield 8 mini crusts. Spray the mini crusts with more non-stick cooking spray and bake them in the oven for 15 minutes. Let them fully cool before adding the ice cream.

Let the ice cream sit out for 30 minutes or so to soften up before scooping and spreading the ice cream into the pie crust. Fill each pie crust to the top with ice cream. Put the muffin tray in the freezer to set while you make the sorbet.

Make the Blackberry Sorbet recipe. As soon as it is done, while it is still soft, scoop out a heaping tablespoon of sorbet and top the Ice Cream Pie Cupcakes with the sorbet like it is frosting. After "frosting" all of the cupcakes, put the muffin tray back in the freezer for a couple of hours before serving.

When you're ready to serve them, slide a knife down into the side of a cupcake and it will pop right out of the muffin tin. You can serve the cupcakes on a plate and just pick them up like a regular cupcake to eat, or you can put them in small custard cups and eat them with a fork. Makes 8 Ice Cream Pie Cupcakes.

Carob Sorbet Recipe (Vegan)

We eat sorbets instead of ice cream in our house, and I wanted to create a sorbet not made from fruit for a change. We love carob, so I came up with this recipe using carob powder and light agave nectar (carob and agave go *great* together). The sorbet is rich and sweet, just the way it should be. We really enjoy this dessert.

Carob Sorbet Recipe

2 cups water
1/2 cup light agave nectar
1/2 cup toasted carob powder (Bob's Red Mill brand)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

In a small saucepan over Med. High heat, whisk together all of the ingredients until well combined. When it starts to boil, remove it from the heat and let it sit out for a while to cool off. When it's cooled for the most part, move the saucepan to the fridge. Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, and pour it into to an automatic ice cream maker to make the sorbet (I run the ice cream maker for 16 minutes). Makes 1 pint (2 cups) of sorbet.

Blackberry Sorbet Recipe (Vegan)

I've been trying for months to create the perfect berry sorbet, with the just-right ratio of water to berries for great texture. I finally succeeded with this recipe. Using frozen berries and the right amount of added water and sugar makes this sorbet creamy and perfectly sweet.

Blackberry Sorbet Recipe

1 lb of frozen whole blackberries (16 oz. bag)
1/2 cup sugar -OR- 1/3 cup of light agave nectar
1/2 cup water

Put the frozen blackberries in a medium-sized pot. Add the water and agave or sugar and heat it to boiling over High heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, and then pour it into a blender and "liquify" it. Pour the liquified blackberries through a mesh strainer to strain out the seeds. Add the seedless blackberry puree to an automatic ice cream maker to make the sorbet (I run the ice cream maker for 16 minutes). Makes 1 pint (2 cups) of sorbet.

Vanilla Mango Sorbet Recipe (Vegan)

I created this sorbet as a replacement for the coconut milk ice cream we had to stop eating because of Sam's food sensitivities. I wanted something creamy and thought mango might be the right way to go. I added vanilla to compliment the mango, and it does nicely. This sorbet is creamy, scoops well, and isn't too sweet. It is currently my family's favorite sorbet.

Vanilla Mango Sorbet Recipe

2 ripe mangos
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar -OR- 1/3 cup light agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Peel the skin and remove the pits from the mangos. Cut the mango pieces into small squares and add them to a medium-sized pot. Add the water, agave or sugar, and vanilla and heat to boiling over High heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and then pour it into a blender and "liquify" it. Add the mango puree to an automatic ice cream maker to make the sorbet (I run the ice cream maker for 16 minutes). Makes 1 pint (2 cups) of sorbet.