Watermelon Sorbet and Mango Lassi Ice Cream

I always say, when life gives you melons and mangos, make frozen desserts. I bought a great big watermelon the other day, only to find it overly ripe inside. It tasted pretty good, but the flesh was sopping wet, and bordering on mealy. The prospect of eating it that way was less than tempting, so I decided to follow Gourmet Veggie Mama’s lead and make some Agua Fresca.

Holy hell, does one watermelon go a long way. After finishing a 2 gallon jug of Agua Fresca, we’d just about had enough. (My nephew RJ, and I, that is. He’s been visiting this week, and helping me out in the kitchen.) We made an ungodly mess while de-seeding and pureeing all that watermelon. He got a good laugh out of watching me scramble with towels, trying to keep the sticky pink mayhem under control. I’m messy. It is known.

Anyway, we mixed 6 cups of pureed watermelon with one cup of simple syrup (you could totally use ginger-lime simple syrup for this, btw) and the juice from 4 limes. After chilling the mixture for about an hour, we popped that stuff in the ice cream maker, and boom! Sorbet.

The sorbet was light, fresh, and delicious, but I couldn’t resist scooping some Mango Lassi Ice Cream into the bowl. The combo was killer. I had almost forgotten that I had this sweet little recipe up my sleeve. Aren’t you lucky I remembered?

Mango Lassi Ice Cream
Makes about three pints

Ingredients for Mango Sauce

• 6 cups fresh mango, diced and peeled
• 3 tablespoons palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Ingredients for Ice Cream 

• 1/2 cup mango sauce
• 2/3 cup, 2 tablespoons sugar (divided)
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

Directions for Mango Sauce

1. Combine the mango and orange juice in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.
2. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, and add sugar.
3. Mix well over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from heat, and allow the sauce to cool for about ten minutes. Add the lime juice.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture for the ice cream. Save the rest for another purpose.

Directions for Ice Cream

1. Combine the mango sauce and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small saucepan. Raise heat to medium, and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the milk in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Add the remaining milk and sugar to a saucepan, along with the heavy cream and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. (Watch it, or it will boil over.)
4. Simmer for four minutes, then remove from heat. Whisk in the cornstarch and milk, then return the pan to the stove, and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and hold there for 2 minutes.
5. Place the softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over the cheese, a little at a time, whisking the cheese and milk together completely. When all the milk mixture has been added, whisk in the mango sauce and the yogurt.
6. Chill the mixture in an ice bath to cool it as quickly as possible. I usually pour it into a ziplock bag, and submerge the bag in a bowl of ice. Be careful not to get any water inside the bag. Once the mixture has come down to room temperature or below, pop it into the fridge to finish chilling.
7. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least two hours before churning the ice cream. It should be completely cold. Follow your ice cream maker’s directions to churn. The ice cream is done when it firms up and pulls away from the sides of the tumblr.
8. Freeze the churned ice cream for at least four hours before serving.

Watermelon Sorbet
Makes about three pints

Ingredients for Watermelon Sorbet

• 6 cups pureed watermelon (seeds removed)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 4 limes, juiced

Directions for Watermelon Sorbet

1. Make simple syrup. (Directions follow) Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then set aside until it comes down to room temperature.
   Chill the simple syrup in the fridge for about an hour, or until cold.
2. Mix the simple syrup, watermelon, and lime juice together, then pour half of the mixture into your ice cream maker. Churn until icy and firm.
3. Repeat with the second half. (You may have to wait for your tumbler to freeze again.
4. Freeze the sorbet in your freezer for several hours to make sure it is nice and hard before serving.