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I made this dessert last summer

 so I don’t need to do a whole large post. It was a very hot day – close to 100° F; because we were having some new friends over I wanted to have a proven cool, light after dinner treat. I had my camera so took some pictures.

Last year I used a KitchenAid KFPW760 12-cup food processor which gave me some problems. Despite its purported 12 cup capacity it couldn’t handle nearly that much liquid because of the post in the center that connects the blade. Because that post is fairly low I ended up with a syrupy mess leaking out through the opening in the post and over the food processor. I had quite a sticky mess to clean up.

So, last summer I went shopping for a food processor that could handle more liquid. I ended up with a Cuisinart 12-cup food processor; I think it is this one [I don’t get any rebates for recommendations] but I’m not 100% positive since there is no product number on the food processor itself and I’ve long since thrown the box away. If you go shopping for one, make sure you get the newer version with the removable/washable gasket. The earlier models had a fixed gasket that collected food and couldn’t be washed well enough.

This did a much better job of handling the liquid but I must say it isn’t as strong at processing solids. If you don’t put liquids in your food processor, the KitchenAid would be and excellent choice; however, if you don’t mind doing a few more pulses for chopping your solids, the Cuisinart is very good.

If you want a simple cold dessert try this recipe: there are very few ingredients.

Just a few minutes of prep work and everything is ready for the food processor. Not shown in the picture above is a dash of salt. The tablespoon of straight-from-the-freezer vodka helps chill the mixture.

First spin the sugar, salt, and lemon zest in the food processor to combine. Notice how the oil in the lemon zest has caused the sugar to clump up just a little.

Put the lid on the food processor and drizzle in the water, lemon juice, and vodka. Once everything is liquified, pour in a bowl and stash in a cold part of the refrigerator for a few hours. Then crank up your ice cream maker, pour in the cold mixture and watch the magic happen.

Put the firm sorbet in a container, cover with plastic wrap pushing it right on the top of the mixture to stop any air getting in. Stash in the freezer for a few hours to let it continue to harden and scoop out for dessert. Here is a picture of two sorbets, lemon on the left, from last year.

Nothing better on a hot day! I took this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated [subscription site] my abbreviated recipe can be found  here.