Lemon Basil Sherbet

Go shawty, it’s Sherbet day!

(yeah I went there)

If you’ve read any of these posts, you know one thing… I LOVE basil.

You’ve probably had this herb of the gods cooked and fresh, but what about in dessert?!?!

Okay, so I wouldn’t jump the gun and start throwing it in cakes and cookies (someday…), but paired with lemon it’s a combination that is too good for words.

Typically, this is a definite summer favorite but since I know most everyone is getting on the “new year, new me” bandwagon and trying to be healthier… I figured this was a good way to start.

Lemon is also one of those flavors that you don’t really want to eat too much of, but this is so sweet and succulent that you will only need a tiny little bowl to feel satisfied.

The vitamin C will also help beef up your immune system for the winter that might arrive sometime this year, so really it’s a win all around!

The downside is that it does contain lots of sugar, but if you use organic it’s not so bad… (at least that’s what I tell myself)

The sugar is the only part of this that needs any kind of cooking because you need to turn it into a simple syrup so it combines with everything.

This is as simple as tossing it in a pan with some water and bringing to a boil..

Once it’s at a rolling boil, I let it go for about 7 minutes. It’s going to turn a sort of golden color, but this won’t affect the end result.

Once it’s done boiling, remove from the heat and throw in your basil.

I just grab a small handful of leaves. You could rip them up to help release some flavors, but I don’t.

While that’s infusing, you can work on your lemons. It’s going to take quite a bit of juice so it’s helpful to have some sort of juicing tool.

I got this little guy yesterday. It kind of sucks, so if you don’t have one.. go for the squeezey contraptions…

Once your lemons are juiced, you want to strain them somehow. I pour the liquid into a coffee filter and squeeze it out. This method is not ideal because it’s a hassle. I like the consistency to be super smooth, though, so I make the sacrifice.

Ten minutes later and I have my juice….

Now, all you have to do is add everything together!

Start by mixing the lemon juice and yogurt. These two things should remain consistent, but you can adjust the level of sweetness to your liking so add the syrup last.

I use Stonyfield Organic Vanilla yogurt. They have THE best consistency when it comes to yogurt and using vanilla as opposed to plain adds another level of deliciousness.

Just mix it with a spoon and it becomes so smooth and creamy. Honestly, I thought about just drinking it like this because the flavor is just so. damn. good.

But I didn’t, because I care about the people and I just knew you needed this in your life. How selfless am I?

After a few hours in the freezer, it does transform into something quite special though. It’s like a creamy Italian ice.

Currently, my two year old is licking it off his fingers, so I imagine I’m not the only who enjoyed it.

I thought serving it in a lemon would be cute.. just no.

So inconvenient. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. I went through a lot to get this picture though, so it wasn’t getting deleted.

Realistically, putting it in a bowl is the way to go.

You should still top it with some fresh Basil leaves though, because otherwise no one would know how fancy you really are.

ANDDDD, if you want to get super convenient- this recipe also makes great frozen popsicles!

When I make the pops, though, I like to add a few finely chopped basil leaves to make it exciting!

Recipe

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup vanilla yogurt

handful of fresh basil leaves

juice of 3 lemons

Bring water and sugar to a boil

After about 7 minutes, or until thickened.. remove from heat and add basil leaves. Let steep at least 10 minutes

Juice and strain your lemons, removing as much pulp as possible

In a bowl, combine yogurt and lemon juice

Add syrup and stir until well combined

Freeze mixture for at least 3 hours

**side note: if you have an ice cream maker and want fast results, you can use that to freeze mix