Spiced Orange and Honey Sorbet

Blessed be those who have inherited ice cream makers. I happen to be one of these lucky people and I love it. I grew up with a freezer full of ice cream, always cookies and cream (my dad's favorite), my mom's rotating favorites (lemon, pistachio), and whatever my brother and I picked out. The variety was excellent. I still love having delicious frozen desserts around, and having my own ice cream maker means the variety factor has increased infinitely. This sorbet is deliciously spiced with ginger and cinnamon, sweetened with honey and enhanced with orange zest. Similar to orange spice tea, this is one cold dessert that starts out hot and fragrant. Your house will smell amazing as the syrup bubbles away. Once the whole mess is frozen it is a smooth, sweet, spiced sorbet. Bright and mysteriously complex. Make sure you juice the oranges after you zest them, use the juice to supplement your most likely store bought orange juice. The more fresh orange, the better.

Spiced Orange and Honey Sorbet adapted from Bon Appetit

Yield: about 4 cups, serving size may vary

Heads up: make to start a day before you want to enjoy, a lot of time is needed for chilling

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel (from about 1.5 large oranges)

1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger

2 cinnamon sticks

2 cup chilled fresh orange juice

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

1. Combine the sugar, honey, orange peel, ginger and cinnamon sticks in a heavy large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

2. Boil until syrup is thick and mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 12-15 minutes.

3. Strain syrup into medium bowl. Add orange juice and lemon juice.

4. Chill the mixture in the fridge until cold, at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

5. Transfer to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.