Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet

OMG freaking yummy. I guess I've made a sherbet before, but not knowing I had. Sorbets and sherbets are without cooking a custard. Sorbets don't have milk or cream, but sherbets do. I just never thought of it before.

This was very easy and fast. I made a simple lemon syrup, cooled it, and then added buttermilk and lemon juice. Churned it in my lovely ice cream maker and it has remained creamy and refreshing since it's soft serve stage. Actually, it's still pretty soft-servy not at all icy or hard. LOVE IT. I also love that this isn't necessarily seasonal but it's light and refreshing for summer.

One minor revision: I did reduce the sugar from 2/3 cup to just a little over 1/3 cup. I have found that I like my sorbets less sweet than the recipe asks, so I figured the same for a sherbet. Truth.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet.

Update 2 days later: The sherbet did harden quite a bit. Five minutes on the counter and it softens up enough to scoop out well enough. I think. I don't have an actual ice cream scooper anymore, so I've been using a regular big spoon. Mental note: get an ice cream scooper.

Cupcake Surprise

I couldn't resist this Cupcake book at Target. And then I thought of the neat recipe I had bookmarked for One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two. While James was occupied with his TV show I whipped up these easy cupcakes, and then half a recipe of (easy) vanilla frosting. I hid my work and then surprised him with the book first.

It's a cute story of a vanilla cupcake who is sad that he is so plain and ordinary. An ordinary birthday candle tries to help him with different toppings to make him special, but in the end they join forces to become a special birthday cupcake.

I brought out my box of sprinkles and things and told James we could decorate some plain cupcakes to make them special for us.

Excuse the dirty, wrinkled up face but he was clearly excited about something!

A loose sprinkle.

James' Special Cupcake, a little heavy on the sprinkles.

The cupcakes were good! These ordinary cupcakes could be customized in so many ways- by adding chocolate chips, cocoa powder, fruit, etc. It's nice to just make TWO cupcakes whenever you need them! (Haha. NEED cupcakes. I mean, WANT.)

Now I just have to tell James that he doesn't get cupcakes EVERY TIME we read this book!

Please click here for the stolen recipe for One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two.

Please click here for the stolen recipe for Martha's Fluffy Vanilla Frosting. I found this frosting recipe in my Martha Stewart Cupcakes book. THREE ingredients. So very easy.

Win a trip to Paris!

I'm just posting a link to a blog offering a contest...

http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris