Easter is sweet with this fresh sorbet

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeff Wilkin

“From the SCCC Kitchen” offers tastes from Schenectady County Community College’s culinary arts program. Today concludes a four-part series from the college’s “hot foods team,” which engages in dish preparation competitions against other colleges that offer culinary degrees. Stephanie Connelly’s subjects today are cool raspberries — and raspberry sorbet.

Frozen raspberries are favorites for Stephanie Connelly. They mean sorbet is the subject.

“Sorbet is similar to ice cream but is usually fruit that has been puréed,” she said. “It’s nice and fresh and light and is perfect for spring and Easter.”

Sugar and water are boiled to make syrup, mixed with raspberry purée and frozen. Connelly likes to use an ice cream maker, but home chefs can improvise. “If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can chill it in your freezer and use a fork to scrape the frozen part off the top and let it just keep freezing.”

The “frozen part” on top of the mixing bowl will be the sorbet.

Connelly likes the variety that comes with the recipe.

“You can substitute any berry or fruit,” she said. “It can be orange, it can be blackberry, it can be watermelon.”

The dessert can be served alone, or teamed with a slice of apple or berry pie.

Raspberry Sorbet

1 cup sugar

1 3⁄4 cups plus 4 teaspoons water

6 cups (1 2⁄3 pounds) raspberries

Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Let syrup cool.

Pulse raspberries and remaining 3⁄4 cup — plus 4 teaspoons — of water in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve set in a deep bowl or a large glass measuring cup. Using a rubber spatula, gently press down on the mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.

Transfer raspberry purée to a deep bowl or air-tight container. Add syrup and stir until well combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers’ instructions. Transfer sorbet to a large airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Add berries and mint leaves for garnish

Makes about 1 quart.