LEMON BALM and RASPBERRY SORBET Brains

Food
Written By Heather Smith

An Icy cold treat that may cause a brain freeze this Summerween

Raspberry sorbet shaped like a brain in a small bowl atop a plate with gold spiderweb patter

These lemon balm and raspberry sorbet brains were served as a pallet cleanser between two rich courses during the 2021 Haunted House Dinner Party, but these tart treats are also perfect for Summerween. Beat the summer heat and use up those berries that have gone a bit too soft in the fridge.

Makes around 16 “brains” or 1 cup sorbet

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup water

  • 5 sprigs fresh lemon balm

  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

  • 8 ounces fresh raspberries

Instructions:

Add sugar and water to a small saucepan. Heat on medium stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add sprigs of lemon balm. While the syrup is cooling, puree raspberries in a food processor. Strain puree through a fine mesh sieve pushing through with a spatula to remove all seeds. Stir lemon juice into the raspberry puree. Extract lemon balm sprigs from the cooled syrup; you will have around ½ cup. Stir half of the syrup into the raspberry puree. Taste and adjust with more syrup according to preferred sweetness. Pour raspberry mixture into a loaf pan, cover, and freeze completely. (If not using immediately, store in freezer at this stage for one week.) Once ready to serve, return the frozen block to the food processor and puree to break up the ice crystals that formed. Enjoy now or place into molds. My molds are silicone and hold around 1 Tablespoon of puree each resulting in 16 tasting sized portions. Tap down once spooned into molds to settle sorbet into crevices. Allow to freeze around 30 minutes to hold the mold shape while retaining creamy texture. Serve immediately.

Heather Smith
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