Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet

If I didn't have a baking blog, I could definitely see myself blogging about wine. I'm absolutely not a wine expert, much like I'm no expert baker either, but I love good wine and I've learned a lot in the past couple years. So when I saw a recipe for Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet, I knew I had to give it a try...

This sorbet is interestingly delicious -- it's not super sweet or fruity, but if you like the taste of red wine, you'll definitely enjoy this. My roommate commented that it tasted like sangria, which I might just have to expand on next time I incorporate wine into sorbet. I tried to choose a Cab that had hints of blackberry, but it probably doesn't make much of a difference in the sorbet. Who can taste all those subtle hints anyway? On one menu in Durham I remember seeing a wine being described as having hints of tobacco, leather, and dust. I'll stick with my blackberries, thank you very much.

About this time last year I was gallivanting around California post-graduation with 4 of my best friends, making a stop in Napa -- the hometown of my college roommate. Here's a picture of us in the caves of her family's vineyard, bring me back please!! Sipping wine in sunny CA sounds like heaven right now, but I guess I'll settle with some Cabernet Sorbet for now.

The sorbet is extremely easy to make (granted you have an ice cream maker to do most of the work) and although it's a bit unsettling that the recipe calls for an uncooked egg white, it's only one and the whites tend to harbor less bacteria anyway. Or you can use a product like Egg Beaters Egg Whites which are pasteurized. Regardless, this sorbet is delicious and it's sure to impress your sophisticated friends! Especially if you serve it out of fancy cardboard cartons....

Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet
Recipe from Batter and Beat

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blackberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tsp lemon juice
1 egg white, whipped

- Make sure your ice cream maker and attachments have been in the freezer at least overnight
- Whip the egg white until stiff peaks form
- In a blender, combine the blackberries, water, sugar, wine, and lemon juice and blend until smooth
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in the whipped egg white
- Cover and chill mixture for about 30 minutes
- Run mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions (I ran my Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment for 30 minutes)
- Freeze in freezer to reach desired consistency