Mango Lime Sherbet

Here's a fun summer treat that our family loves.

Mango Lime Sherbet...yummm. It's so easy to make, all you need is some time set aside for freezing.

If I'm serving this to company, I like to make it a day or two ahead.

And then padlock the freezer to keep Hubs out.

Thinly peel two very ripe mangos.

The intensity of flavor will be mostly determined by how ripe your mangos are, so make sure you pick some good ones! Slice them up any way you can to get all the fruit off that pit.

Throw them in your food processor and add 1/4 cup of lime juice.

I used bottled lime because it's what I had on hand, but freshly squeezed limes would be divine!

Blend it together in your processor until it's nice and smooth.

In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of sugar with about 3 Tbsp. of water.

If you like your sherbet sweet...add a little more sugar! I like mine a little more on the tart side, so 1/2 cup works perfectly for my taste buds.

Stir the sugar and water together over low heat until the sugar has dissolved completely. Add to your mango puree. Mix it together well and store in the fridge for a couple hours.

(I am not a great time manager and of course forgot to calculate freezing times, so once I realized I started this too late in the day...I just left it in the fridge until the next morning. Unless you're a serious night owl, it's probably best to start this in the morning, not mid-afternoon!)

Give everything a good pulsing in your processor again.

Then pour into a container and cover with plastic wrap, or with the container's lid, if it has one.

Try to store as flat as possible in the freezer, so everything freezes evenly.

Once the sherbet is about half-set (solid, but not completely firm...see my fingerprints testing it out?! Shhh!), which takes roughly 3 hours, scoop it all out and put in your food processor again.

Give it a really good stir...pulse...mix(?)...what's the proper term for food processing?? You may have to stop and push the big chunks down to the bottom, if your sherbet is too firm.

Keep it stirring...pulsing...mixing...whatever...until it gets to this nice, creamy smooth consistency. Mmmm.

Repeat the process one more time. Back in container, freeze until semi-firm, scoop it out and stir, pulse, mix.

Return to freezer until you're ready to devour inhale serve it.

Here's a tip for all you entertainers out there. My parents did this once when I was five or six and I've never forgotten it, and used it myself several times!

Once the sherbet has frozen to a good "scoop-able" stage (soft, but firm enough to hold it's shape), use your ice cream scoop to make individual servings and put each ball on a wax or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Return to the freezer until completely solid, then carefully put your scoops into a container with a lid and store until you're ready to serve it.

 Or - if you intend to use the sherbet for a palate cleanser course, use a melon baller instead of an ice cream scoop to make smaller servings.

This little trick makes serving so much quicker and easier!

I remember my parents putting all the scoops into a huge brandy snifter and serving it buffet style with cake and other desserts. It makes for a beautiful presentation!

Enjoy!!

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I've linked up to I Heart Naptime's Sundae Scoop

This Chick Cooks