It's hot. FAR TOO HOT. I know I shouldn't complain, but being a pasty-skinned Northern Irish woman means I'm not cut out to deal with anything above 10C and scattered showers... so this heatwave is just a bit too much. I've taken to standing with my face in the freezer and hugging hot water bottles full of frozen peas in bed at night. Maybe that's too much information. (But it really does work.)
Anyway, before the clouds come rolling in and this post becomes pointless, here's a recipe for my very berry sorbet: a refreshing, tangy, gloriously-coloured sorbet studded with little berry bursts. It'll help you cool down, I promise. You can even stick your head in the freezer for a bit while you get the frozen berries out. And, like everything else on this site, it's made with just three simple ingredients...
Serves 6-8 people
Ingredients
500g frozen mixed berries
2 egg whites
100g granulated sugar
1 litre freezer-safe plastic container
Method
Clean and dry your ice cream container. You don’t need to line it, as the sorbet is nice and soft, so it's easy to scoop out.
Heat the berries in a saucepan with 30g of the sugar for around 20 minutes until they soften. Take them off the heat and mash them with a potato masher to squash any remaining whole berries. Don’t worry about getting it completely smooth; I quite like it chunky.
Pour the mixture into the ice cream container and freeze for an hour.
Meanwhile whisk the egg whites into soft peaks, add the rest of the sugar and whisk again so it’s all combined (just like a runny meringue).
When the frozen berries are ready – ice crystals should just have started to form – take them out of the freezer and stir in the egg mixture. You can mix it thoroughly so it’s all one colour or leave a few ripples – the rich purple tones are lovely.
Your bowl should look something like this...
Finally, return the mixture to the container and stick it back in the freezer for at least four hours, stirring twice during the first hour to stop it becoming too icy.
Scoop and serve scattered with fresh mint. Enjoy!