There were quite a few things I missed about the Bay Area when I packed up my bags and moved to France. Burritos, bean-to-bar chocolates, and “centered” people were some of them. Okay, I didn’t miss the centered people. But I was surprised at how much I missed Meyer lemons, which are sweeter and more perfumed than regular Eureka lemons. Their vibrant, deep yellow color makes other lemons pale in comparison. If you’re lucky enough to know someone with a Meyer lemon tree, you’re likely to be handed a large sack of them when the fruits are in season. Some greengrocers and specialty markets now carry them, too. Otherwise, you can use regular Eureka lemons in this recipe, but increase the sugar to 1 cup (200 g).

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

　　2 1/2 cups (625 ml) water

　　3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

　　Grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon, preferably organic

　　1 cup (250 ml) freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

　　1/4 cup (60 ml) Champagne or other sparkling wine, or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vodka

　　

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and lemon zest to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a medium bowl and let cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 2

Stir in the lemon juice and Champagne, other sparkling wine, or vodka. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

　　

Step 3

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

tip

Step 4

This sorbet will freeze quite hard because it contains an especially large amount of water, so it’s best eaten shortly after it’s frozen. Or, remove it from the freezer ahead of serving so that it’s soft enough to scoop. You can omit the alcohol, but the sorbet will freeze up even harder.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.