Cantaloupe-Lime-Basil Sorbet

With the warm days (and nights) of summer finally here, I have found myself craving cool desserts more & more. (Which is sort of strange because I've also found myself making hot soups more than usual... Go figure.) But at any rate, ever since I read Emilie's blog about herb-infused ice creams over at The Conscious Kitchen, I couldn't stop toying with the idea of using herbs in a dessert. It sounded strange at first, but her delicious-looking photographs won me over. Still, I wanted to make something lighter than ice cream, yet equally cool & refreshing.

Almost immediately, I decided that I'd like to do a lime/basil combination for my first herb dessert experiment. Yet basil & lime alone seemed just a bit too plain. After briefly considering strawberry (too overpowering for the delicate basil flavor), and raspberry (a bit too tart to combine with the lime), it occurred to me: Cantaloupe! Intensely sweet, yet still mild enough to blend well with the other flavors & let the basil really shine through. With this decision, Cantaloupe-Lime-Basil Sorbet was born. Three of my favorite ingredients combined into one delicious dessert? Don't mind if I do!

I was quite pleased with this sorbet, and Nick & I ate a good deal of it straight from the ice cream maker last night. I also enjoyed it as a nice pick-me-up after work today! Even Nick, who at first gave me the "Basil? In a dessert? Uhhh... I'm not too sure about that..." look when I mentioned my plans, sent me a text message today saying, "I want some of that sorbet right NOW!" Ha! :)

If you're in the mood for something lightly sweet, perfectly tart, and uniquely delicious, I suggest you try this sorbet--or your own creative version! I think I am going to try a rosemary-infused dessert for my next experiment... So many possibilities!

Cantaloupe-Lime-Basil Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 1 c. sugar
  
• 1 c. water
• 1½ c. cantaloupe, cubed
  
• Zest of 3 limes
  
• Juice of 3 limes (about ½ c.)
• ½ tsp. lemon extract (optional; it's okay if you don't have it)
  
• 15-20 basil leaves, minced

Directions:
Prepare simple syrup by combining the sugar & water in a small-medium saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Let boil for about 30 seconds or so. Remove from heat & allow to cool a bit.

In a food processor or blender, combine the cantaloupe, lime zest & juice, lemon extract (if using), and minced basil leaves. After everything is well mixed, add the simple syrup. (The syrup doesn't need to be cool at this point; just not hot.) Blend again until everything is combined.

Put the mixture into the fridge for about an hour, until it's chilled. Add to your ice cream maker, and allow it to do its thing until the mixture looks like sorbet (in my machine, it takes only about 25 minutes). Transfer to serving dishes and/or a freezer-safe container. Enjoy!

Note: You can also do this without an ice cream maker, though it might not be as smooth; perhaps more icy. If you'd like to try this, transfer to a freezer-safe container after blending in the food processor. Allow to freeze before eating, shaking the container every so often to make sure it freezes evenly.

Yield: Approximately 6 servings (or only 3-4 if you're like me & stand in the kitchen at midnight with the freezer door still open while you enjoy ice cream/sorbet)