Mango Sorbet

This time last year I posted about my addiction to Champagne mangoes. I love mangoes in general, but this variety is truly something special. They have a super smooth texture & are very sweet.

I saw them at the grocery store last week, in season once again & I bought a bunch. I bought so many that I couldn't eat them all before they became overly ripe...so soft I had no idea what to do with them. I was going to dice & freeze them to add to my "smoothie bag"--My smoothie bag is where I add fruit that has ripened too much to eat, but will still be great in smoothies.
Smoothies are both my kids favorite after-school snack...but, frozen organic fruit is expensive & we go through a lot of it! So, having a bag of frozen fruit on hand is always a useful thing around here.
But, this time I decided that these mangoes needed something special. I decided to make some mango sorbet. I'm not a huge dessert person, and the only time I'm known to eat ice cream is when I'm pregnant. But, there's something about mango sorbet...or any sorbet really...that I think is perfect after a meal.
It was my first attempt at making sorbet, so I did a search & found this recipe by the great David Lebovitz...who knows a thing or two about making ice cream. I modified his recipe quite a bit as I only had two mangoes, and this variety is much smaller than a traditional mango. I added in some tequila, instead of rum, because that's what I had on hand. I also cut back on the sugar, because these mangoes were sweeter than normal. I think I was able to adjust it just right, because it came out fantastic!

Begin by adding some peeled & chopped mango to the bowl of a food processor. Once prepped, mine totaled about 9 ounces. To that, add a 1/3 cup sugar,

1 teaspoon tequila, 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice,
Note: Adding alcohol to ice cream & sorbets helps improve the texture of the finished product, making it smooth & soft, rather than icy. If you are concerned about the alcohol, or plan to serve this to children, you can easily omit it.

a 1/3 cup water & a pinch of kosher salt. Puree until smooth. If you have difficultly getting all the bits of mango to puree, try pulsing instead. Add the mixture to a previously frozen bowl of your ice cream maker,

and run for 20-25 minutes, or until it's thickened to the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Transfer to a storage container, 

freeze until firm & serve.

Mango Sorbet

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz
Makes 1 pint, serving 3-4
In this adapted version of David Lebovitz's recipe for mango sorbet, I have used Champagne mangoes...also known as Ataulfo mangoes. These differ from traditional mangoes in that they are brighter yellow in color, have a smoother texture & are sweeter. Because of this, I have adjusted the sugar accordingly. If you use regular mangoes, taste them first, if they don't taste overly sweet, you may want to up the sugar slightly. I also used tequila in my version. Adding alcohol to ice cream & sorbets helps improve the texture of the finished product, making it smooth & soft, rather than icy. If you are concerned about the alcohol, or plan to serve this to children, you can easily omit it.

2 ripe Champagne mangoes {about 9 ounces prepared}, peeled & chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon tequila

special equipment: an ice cream maker

Add the chopped mango, sugar, water, lime juice, salt & tequila to the bowl of a food processor {or, blender}. Puree until smooth. If you have difficultly getting all the bits of mango to puree, try pulsing instead.
Add the mixture to a previously frozen bowl of your ice cream maker & run for 20-25 minutes, or until it's thickened to the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Transfer to a storage container, freeze until firm & serve.
Click here for the printable recipe.