Orange Sherbet

Orange bread, orange sorbet... what else could I make with the many oranges from our tree? How about orange sherbet?!

I checked the recipe booklet that came with our ice cream maker. There was an orange sherbet recipe, but it called for melted orange juice concentrate instead of fresh juice. I turned to Google to read through some recipes. I'd planned to get a general idea of what goes into a sherbet then invent my own, but that was before I found Alton Brown's recipe for orange sherbet. We're big AB fans and I knew his recipe would be great.

I mixed up a batch and added it to the ice cream maker. Here are Steve and Trevor, checking on the progress of the sherbet:

And here is the finished sherbet. I realize that this photo looks like scrambled eggs, not sherbet, but you'll have to trust me. It was dark when I took the picture and my sherbet was melting rapidly, so I didn't take the time to take a proper picture.  

I decided to put the leftover sherbet into popsicle molds, which we enjoyed after dinner the following day. (Trevor was sick and stayed in jammies all day. This photo cracks me up, because it looks like the dinosaur is trying to eat the popsicle before Trevor does.)

Alton Brown's Orange Sherbet

                                   7 ounces sugar                                          1 tablespoon lemon juice
                                   1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest                   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
                                   1/4 teaspoon kosher salt                           1 1/2 cups very cold whole milk
                                   2 cups orange juice

In the bowl of a food processor combine all of the ingredients except the milk and process until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 1 minute. (I didn't use a food processor. I just stirred the ingredients in a bowl and the sugar dissolved just fine.) Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk in the milk. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40°F or below, approximately 1 hour.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process until it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. You may serve now or transfer to a lidded container and place in freezer until firm, approximately 3 hours.