Sugar High Fridays – Sweet without the Wheat

When I read that this month’s Sugar High Friday was to be desserts without any wheat, I knew I would be making something frozen using my much loved ice cream maker(I think I’ve become a little obsessed).   I came to love tea with honey and lemon as a child when my Czech next-door neighbour, who I visited often, would freshly brew it using a coffee maker.  I was curious how it would translate into a sorbet, and have been experimenting in balancing the sourness and tang of the lemon with just enough sweetness.

Sorbets have the added benefit for those with food allergies and sensitivities that not only are they gluten-free, they are also egg and dairy-free.  It came at a good time too, as I came down with a nasty bout of laryngitis right at the beginning of the Canadian Victoria day weekend (of course!).  Honey-lemon tea is known to soothe a raw and sore throat, and I discovered it works even better when frozen! 

Honey-Lemon Tea Sorbet

A true “iced” tea

Ingredients

• 4                            Tea bags (I used Orange Pekoe)
• 1/2 Cup               Sugar
• 3 Tbsp                  Honey
• 2 Cups                  Water
• 2  1/2 Cups         Cold water
• Juice from one lemon (approx. 1/4 cup)

Directions

1. Boil 2 cups of the water and sugar together until sugar dissolves.  Take off heat.
2. Add tea bags.  Steep for 5 minutes.
3. Remove tea bags and add honey, stirring to dissolve.
4. Mix in 2 cups cold water and lemon juice.
5. Put in fridge to chill until thoroughly cold, at least 2 hours.
6. Freeze in ice cream machine according to manufacture’s instructions.
7. Keep in airtight container in freezer.  Will tend to freeze rock hard after a few hours, let thaw in fridge at least 10-15 minutes until softened. (If frozen in a microwaveable container, I have found putting it on 30 second bursts and checking works too, works well especially for the impatient like me).