rose and lemon sorbet

My family is here visiting and so far its been fun and entertaining. I got several gifts from India and some delicious snacks to eat. Now, I am faced with the dilemma of what to share with friends and co-workers. I think I will deal with that at some later point. I am also trying to be a good tourist guide when it comes to showing them around D.C. The monuments, museums, and local restaurants should hopefully make this a great first time for them. The zoo is still probably my favorite tourist spot. Since they are here for a month, I need to strategize and plan things accordingly, so they don’t get bored. Georgetown cupcakes (TLC’s DC cupcakes) are also on my list of things for them to try out.

Beyond the big family visit, there have been a couple of things that have been on my mind recently. For one, I am anxiously awaiting the rumored next model of the Apple Macbook Pro. When I wake up every morning, I first check the internet for any news updates before I can proceed with the day. The second big thing on my mind has been lemon sorbets. There is something refreshing and appealing in lemon sorbets. They are sour and sweet with a kick of frozen flavor and are perfect in hot and humid weather. Its a good excuse for my daily dose of Vitamin C.

This particular sorbet is a little different. It has rose petals that infuse a floral sweet taste to the lemons. I also found an ingredient known as Gulab Khaas that is both minty and sweet to taste and is commonly used in preparing certain sweet digestives in Indian cuisine. I do know that gulab means rose and I’ve been trying to find out what it actually is but have not had much luck but if you do find out, I would love to know. If you can’t find it, a teaspoon of freshly chopped mint leaves will be just fine. Just stir the leaves in to the liquid  syrup right before the freezing stage.

rose and lemon sorbet


ingredients


1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried rose petals
2 tablespoon rose water
1 teaspoon gulab khaas
fresh mint leaves for garnish


In a pot bring the rose petals, water, and sugar to a boil and stir occasionally till the sugar dissolves completely. Remove the syrup from the stove and fold in the rest of the ingredients, except the rose water. Let the syrup cool to room temperature and mix in the rose water. Freeze the entire liquid for at least 2 to 3 hours. Stir the frozen sorbet to crush any large ice-crystals that might form. Refreeze for another 3 hours. Serve frozen in chilled dessert bowls.