By Florence Fabricant
- Total Time
- 20 minutes, plus at least 6 hours’ chilling and freezing
- Rating
- 4(117)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This autumnal sorbet can be made vegan-friendly by substituting agave syrup for the honey. If you would rather not use canned pumpkin, try roasting honeynut squashes, 40 minutes at 400 degrees, then scraping out the insides, which become a smooth purée under the heat; two squashes will give you enough purée for this recipe.The sorbet is excellent served with slivers of candied ginger on top or with pieces of pumpkin seed brittle. And it’s surprisingly amenable to tracings of chilled dark chocolate sauce.
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Ingredients
Yield:1 quart (6 to 8 servings)
- 1cup pumpkin or winter squash purée, fresh or canned
- 3cups fresh apple cider
- 2tablespoons peeled, finely minced ginger
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1tablespoon honey
- 3tablespoons dark rum or bourbon (optional)
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
73 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 5 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a small saucepan mix the pumpkin or squash with 1 cup of the cider until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper and honey. Bring to simmer on low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Step
2
Transfer to a medium-size bowl, stir in the remaining 2 cups cider, add the rum or bourbon if using, and the vanilla. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until very cold.
Step
3
Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker for about 45 minutes, until it reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes. Transfer to a container and freeze at least 2 hours to firm up. To serve, transfer the sorbet to the refrigerator and allow to soften for about an hour before scooping.
Ratings
4
out of 5
117
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Beatrice
Great frozen dessert for pre diabetics because of the minimal sugar! I was so happy to see such a recipe that I bought an ice cream maker to make it! After first try I did reduce the ginger and will reduce it further. I would love to know how to make more frozen desserts with low sugar.
Patricia
Put the mix in a glass or metal bowl and put that in the freezer, Every ten minutes, take it out of the freezer, stir the mix, break up any ice, and put in back into the freezer. This imitates what an ice cream maker does. It could take several hours, but in the end you'll have a grainy sorbet. When I go on vacation, instead of buying commercial sorbet, I make my own freezer sorbet by this method.
Rachael
This made a wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving Pavlova this year. I put a generous scoop of this sorbet on top of broiled apples and maple whipped cream that were layered on top of a pecan meringue base. I drizzled some whiskey caramel over the sorbet and dusted it all with crushed ginger biscotti and candied-ginger bits.
Jane
I was excited to serve this as a light, refreshing dessert for Thanksgiving, so I was disappointed to find that it was bitter, icy, and tasted nothing like pumpkin. I prefer desserts that aren’t super sweet, so I was hopeful that the honey & cider would make for a mildly sweet sorbet. Even for me, it was not sweet enough, especially with the overwhelming bitterness from the ground spices. If I bothered to remake, I would steep whole spices in the cider instead. As it was, I couldn’t serve it.
janis
I added a can of sweetened condensed coconut milk thinking it would replace the honey. When I tasted the mixture I realized it needed the honey too. When the sweetness was just right I put it in the ice cream maker. It really came out delicious! Although it’s great on its own, I will take Rachael’s advice and serve it over broiled apples with whipped cream on top. Perhaps ginger snaps as well.
Renee
Based on comments I may halve the ginger and spices while adding a 1/2 cup of light brown sugar while simmering. That may help the bitterness and also improve the consistency of the sorbet. Has anyone else done something similar?
Kristian
Does anyone have advice for making this recipe without an ice cream maker?
Patricia
Put the mix in a glass or metal bowl and put that in the freezer, Every ten minutes, take it out of the freezer, stir the mix, break up any ice, and put in back into the freezer. This imitates what an ice cream maker does. It could take several hours, but in the end you'll have a grainy sorbet. When I go on vacation, instead of buying commercial sorbet, I make my own freezer sorbet by this method.
Beatrice
Great frozen dessert for pre diabetics because of the minimal sugar! I was so happy to see such a recipe that I bought an ice cream maker to make it! After first try I did reduce the ginger and will reduce it further. I would love to know how to make more frozen desserts with low sugar.
Barbara
Disappointed. It was, as others have noted, bitter. The bourbon made it worse. A waste of a delicious honeynut squash.
Jane
I was excited to serve this as a light, refreshing dessert for Thanksgiving, so I was disappointed to find that it was bitter, icy, and tasted nothing like pumpkin. I prefer desserts that aren’t super sweet, so I was hopeful that the honey & cider would make for a mildly sweet sorbet. Even for me, it was not sweet enough, especially with the overwhelming bitterness from the ground spices. If I bothered to remake, I would steep whole spices in the cider instead. As it was, I couldn’t serve it.
Rachael
This made a wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving Pavlova this year. I put a generous scoop of this sorbet on top of broiled apples and maple whipped cream that were layered on top of a pecan meringue base. I drizzled some whiskey caramel over the sorbet and dusted it all with crushed ginger biscotti and candied-ginger bits.
Melissa
I made this for Thanksgiving and didn’t love it (nor did anyone else). It’s possible I overdid the ginger (but not by much) since I didn’t measure it and it was not as finely minced as it could have been but the ginger was overpowering and needed to mellow significantly. It did not taste of pumpkin at all and had a weird dry texture. It also overflowed my ice cream machine while mixing, so it was more trouble than it’s worth. I won’t be making it again as no one wanted more than a few bites.
dh
be careful when you do the first simmer. It is hard to keep the simmer up without an occasional "mud volcano" explosion.
Marina
Would powdered ginger work here?
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