Blueberry Rum Sorbet

This Sunday, July 21, 2013, is National Ice Cream Day. So why not celebrate the hot days of summer with some cold, homemade sorbet! I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of ice cream or should I say, it's not a big fan of me, but I do love to cool off with some refreshing sorbet or ice pops. So while I was thinking about what ice cream recipe I could share with you today, I found several recipes online for homemade sorbet that didn't involve an ice cream maker (since I don't have one of those either!). They were all generally the same, but I opted in the end for my own version.

During a trip to my local wine store, I saw they had a new sample size of Bacardi's Wolfberry Blueberry Rum. I'm a red wine or sangria girl and don't really drink much hard alcohol, but I love to find new ways to cook with all of the new alcohol flavors that keep emerging. I originally purchased the rum to make a marinade for grilled chicken (coming soon!), but thought I could add it to this sorbet to make an adult dessert as well. It was really easy to make and the alcohol actually made the sorbet creamier since it doesn't freeze. This frozen treat was very refreshing and not overly sweet.

You can also make this recipe sans the alcohol by removing it from the recipe altogether. I tried it both ways so the kids could also have a taste and found that the one without the rum was a little more grainy in texture, like an Italian Ice, but the kids loved it just the same.

Blueberry Rum Sorbet
Prep Time: 15 minutes                  Yield: 4
Freezer Time: 4 hours                  Servings: 1 ice cream scoop
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
For the Blueberry Rum Sorbet

• 1 pt. Blueberries (I used fresh but you could also use frozen when not in season)
• 1/4 c. Simple Syrup
• 2 tbsp. Bacardi Wolfberry Blueberry Rum

For the Simple Syrup

1/4 c. Water

1/4 c. Granulated Sugar

Directions

For the Blueberry Rum Sorbet

1. Add your blueberries to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth; stopping to scrape down the sides as you go. 
2. Add the cooled simple syrup and rum to the blueberries; then pulse again until well blended. 
3. Pour the mixture into an airtight plastic container (I used my Rubbermaid container), seal it tightly with the lid and freeze for at least 4 hours. 

For the Simple Syrup

1. Add the water and sugar to a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved; then let cool. 

Nutrition Facts
Calories 88 , Carbs 21.6g, Fat .3g, Protein .7g, Fiber 2.4g, Sugar 17g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Blueberry Rum Sorbet Shopping List

If you're more adventurous than I and would like to make your own ice cream, check out my Ice Cream/Frozen Desserts Board on Pinterest!