Watermelon is one of my favourite summer fruits!
For a light dessert I made this quick Watermelon Sorbet. What makes it unique is that it is PURE FRUIT, egg free, dairy free and the only sugar is the natural fruit sugar, no added sugar!
When you need the lightest dessert or palate cleanser this is the perfect recipe.
It’s one of the few desserts that is good enough for breakfast!
You can add a touch of sweetness if it is really required but don’t spoil it with sugar, rather add it in the form of honey.
I found a recipe where a banana is added. This results in a smoother, more velvety texture, but does not affect the flavour. I used a just ripe one and the result was excellent.
I like a hint of acidity to emphasize the watermelon flavour so a dash of fresh lime or lemon juice provides this, but it is optional.
To add an exotic twist or to end an Asian meal you can add a dash of rose water. If you do use rose water buy the best possible from an Asian specialty shop. Cheaper ones can be too artificial or ‘soapy’.
This is the simplest dessert that you will ever make.
All you need is
- a food processor or a powerful blender. I tested it in both and found the large blade of the food processor more efficient
- advance planning as you need to freeze the watermelon ahead of time; if you are adding banana freeze it as well. I cube the watermelon and pop it into a ziplock bag on the freezer.
- When you are ready to make the sorbet you really need only the time to assemble the utensils and ingredients and literally a few minutes to blend it!
Add a twist to your cocktails
A drink that I enjoyed on travels in South East Asia was a Chilli Watermelon Cocktail. I think it was laced with a dash of gin, vodka or tequila. I did not want to add the booze to the watermelon sorbet, but served a little cocktail on the side. An alternative is to serve a scoop of the sorbet in the cocktail.
Regular followers of my recipes will know that I have a chilli ‘addiction’ so I feel there is no harm in adding chilli to your sorbet blend, but you need to know your guests tastes.
The cocktail is freshly blended watermelon, strained, mixed with your favourite tipple and poured over crushed ice, or a dollop of the sorbet. I use half a mild chilli to a blender of cubed watermelon.
Note, either use pip/seed free watermelon or remove the pips before freezing it. If it is the seedless variety and a few soft white ‘seeds’ slip through, this is acceptable.
