Weekend Cooking...Sgroppino.

It has been a bit warm this week.
Actually, it has been almost record breaking hot.
So we are going to take a frosty trip to Venice.
"But it is not frosty in Venice!" I hear you saying.
No, but it is the home of a frosty, tasty, refreshing drink that is perfect for a hot day.
Sgroppino!!

You can have it is an aperitif, to get those taste buds all set for a meal.
Or you could have one as an intermezzo, a palate cleanser between courses.
Or you could have it as an after dinner drink, or even as dessert.
The choice is yours.

 

I tried to find something about the history of the drink, but was unsuccessful. All that seems agree upon is that it is very popular in Venice and the surrounding area.
Actually, it is very difficult to even get two recipes that are the same.
So we will go with this one. But it seems you can free to change things up and still call it a Sgroppino. Some use vodka...some limoncello. Lemon sorbet is most common, but I saw recipes with gelato, with lemon ice cream, with orange or blood orange sherbet. Some add sugar or simple syrup, which I just do not see the need for, even if you use all vodka instead of the sweeter limoncello. Prosecco is the norm for the sparking wine used, but anything with bubbles will work. Mint..or lemon zest or a slice of orange as a garnish will be nice.

The first time I made it, I used some limoncello and some plain vodka. After some thought...because a classic drink like this deserves thought..I changed it to all limoncello. For those not familiar with it, limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur make by soaking the peels of Sorrento lemons in grain alcohol and then adding simple syrup. It is traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestivo, lovely all alone.
And I used the traditional prosecco, a rather dry, not very expensive, low alcohol, sparkling white Italian wine. But for a slightly sweeter touch, Asti Spumante would be very nice too.
So, on to making the drink.

 Sgroppino

For 4-6 servings...

1 pint lemon sorbet
1/2 cup limoncello
1 cup prosecco.

Let the sorbet sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to get a little soft.
Put in a chilled bowl (you could use a blender,but it seems like overkill and may melt the sorbet too much) and then pour in the limoncello and mix with a whisk until blended and slushy. Add the prosecco and mix and immediately served, ideally in champagne flutes. Top with some zest or mint or a slice of lemon.
Enjoy!

I saw recipes that measured the limoncello or vodka in tablespoons. Really, what are they thinking. But I guess that is up to you. And the amount of sparking wine you add will determine how thick the final drink is. If you want to eat it as a dessert, even with a spoon, just add a dash. But these measurement made a nice, pourable beverage.

Cin, Cin!

 

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This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

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