Watermelon Lime Sorbet, Frozen Watermelon Margaritas and a Mocktail

I love Independence Day.

Maybe it has something to do with my ever so slight problem with authority. (I can hear my dad and mom laughing from here.) Maybe it’s because the hair stands up on my arms and a chill runs down my spine every time I hear a snare drum and a patriotic song. Perhaps it’s because I love to see the flash and colour of the fireworks reflected back from my kids’ wide eyes.

…Or maybe it’s the food.

Okay. It’s mostly the food. The truth is that this time of year is a food lover’s heaven. Fresh berries, tender lettuce, grilled meats, herbs snatched and munched on from the garden… Good golly! I could eat from dawn to dusk, and I frequently do. But I also spend a lot of time on the run in the heat and at the end of the day, I want an icy cold treat.

Watermelon Lime Sorbet:

You already know my ice cream obsession, and I am trying to squeak another one in here for you for your July 4th parties. This recipe will make you the star of any party where you serve it. We are talking about Watermelon Lime Sorbet.

Right there is really enough. You could stop right there with a bowl full of Arctic cold, sweet, tangy, fragrant Watermelon Lime Sorbet and be more than happy. It melts as soon as it hits your tongue. It’s summer refreshment in a bowl.

…But if you’re entertaining, there’s a chance you want to up the wow factor a little bit. If you were to grab a lime wedge and rim a dessert dish then dip that dish in salt…

…Then fill that salt rimmed bowl with the Watermelon Lime Sorbet, you’d be serving something pretty spectacular.

Watermelon and salt play very nicely together. My mom has always served watermelon slices with salt. Salt makes watermelon taste watermelony-er. (New word alert.)

Almost Instant Frozen Watermelon Margaritas:

…But if you wanted to make it even fancy-pantser, you could drizzle a shot of hyper-chilled tequila over the top. Now you have a Frozen Watermelon Lime Margarita. OLÉ!

Frozen Watermelon Margarita Mocktail:

Of course, I have my friends who don’t drink alcohol covered in the festivities, too! In a measuring cup, use a fork to gently stir 1 teaspoon of light or golden agave nectar into 1/2 a cup of tonic water. Because tequila is made from agave nectar, this will mimic some of the distinctive taste with none of the alcohol. Serve two dessert dishes full of Watermelon Lime Sorbet and drizzle half of the mixture over each bowl. Voila! Frozen Watermelon Margarita Mocktail!

Now tell me, how many of you just added a seedless watermelon, limes, and tequila or tonic water to your shopping list for the 4th? Can you think of any better way to cap off Independence Day than in a lounge chair with your feet up and one of these in hand?

Watermelon Lime Sorbet, Frozen Watermelon Margaritas and a Mocktail!

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Rebecca Lindamood

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Celebrate summer in sweet and tart style with Watermelon Lime Sorbet. You can even use this beautiful, icy, pink, watermelon delight to make an almost instant Frozen Watermelon Margarita or a Mocktail. All three recipes are included!

Ingredients

  

For the Watermelon Lime Sorbet:

• 6 cups seedless watermelon cubes
• the juice and zest of 6 limes separated
• 1/2 cup sugar

For the Frozen Watermelon Margarita:

• 2 large scoops hardened Watermelon Lime Sorbet
• 1 to 1 1/2 shots tequila that has been stored in the freezer for at least 2 hours. *See Notes

For the Frozen Watermelon Margarita Mocktail:

• Lime wedges
• Kosher or coarse sea salt
• 2 large scoops hardened Watermelon Lime Sorbet
• 1/2 teaspoon golden or light agave nectar
• 1/4 cup tonic water

Instructions

 

To Make the Watermelon Lime Sorbet:

• Stir the sugar into the lime juice and heat in a saucepan, stirring constantly, just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• Add the watermelon cubes and the cooled lime syrup to the carafe of a blender, fix the lid in place, and blend on HIGH until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl, stir the lime zest in, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. When the sorbet is finished, scrape into a container with a tight fitting lid and put into the freezer to harden for at least 2 hours prior to serving.

To Make the Frozen Watermelon Margarita:

• Pour a thick layer of salt onto a dessert or bread plate. Rub the rim of a dessert dish with a lime wedge. Invert the dessert dish onto the plate of salt, twirling the lime-rubbed edge in the salt. After turning the dessert dish right-side-up, fill with the Watermelon Lime Sorbet and drizzle with the tequila. Serve immediately.

To Make the Frozen Watermelon Margarita Mocktail:

• In a small measuring cup, use a fork to stir the agave nectar into the tonic water. Set aside.
• Pour a thick layer of salt onto a dessert or bread plate. Rub the rim of a dessert dish with a lime wedge. Invert the dessert dish onto the plate of salt, twirling the lime-rubbed edge in the salt. After turning the dessert dish right-side-up, fill with the Watermelon Lime Sorbet and drizzle with the tonic water mixture. Serve immediately.

Notes

*You can store tequila in the freezer without worrying about the bottle breaking. Tequila is so high in alcohol that it will never freeze all the way through. The same holds true for gin and rum.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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