Orange Sherbet

....because what says "Feed me ice cream!" like a chilly September day, when autumn is definitely on the way?

I was browsing through my Good Housekeeping cookbook (copyright 1986, BTW), and found a section on frozen desserts.  One of the first entries was orange sherbet.  I do love sherbet, and orange is my favorite, so I decided that meant that my dearly beloved also wanted orange sherbet.  Yes, that's how it works around here: If I want something, that means he wants it  And vice versa.  It's worked out pretty well for the past 33 years, so I see no reason to change the system.  Anyway, the recipe you've been waiting for all summer (or, for Carol and Hsin-Yi Down Under, and Mickle in NZ, a welcome to summer)....

ORANGE SHERBET

1 cup milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatine
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp salt
4 cups cold milk
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp very finely chopped orange peel, optional
4 drops yellow food coloring, optional
2 drops red food coloring, optional

Put the 1 cup of milk in a sauce pan, and sprinkle the gelatine over it.  Let it sit for a minute or 2 to soften.  Put the saucepan on a burner set to medium heat, and stir gently with a wire whisk to dissolve the gelatine.  Add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and heating until each addition is dissolved.  Stir in the salt and remove from the heat.  Let the mixture sit away from the heat for 5 minutes (that's a good time to gather the other ingredients).  Whisk in the remaining milk, then the orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, and, if desired, the orange peel and food coloring.  Whisk until well combined.  Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so until it's cold again, then whisk to recombine (it will have begun to separate).  From there, proceed one of two ways:  Either process in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's direction, or pour into a shallow baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the freezer.  Stir with your whisk every half hour or so to break up the ice crystals (so the sherbet will be smooth).  When it's "soft serve" consistency, transfer your sherbet to the storage container you're going to keep it in (my favorite is the Pampered Chef batter bowl, which has a nice solid handle) and let it harden completely.

I changed this recipe from its original format to use orange juice concentrate instead of orange juice, and it really increased the flavor of the sherbet.  I also added food coloring so my husband couldn't gripe that it wasn't the right color.  And, I assure you, it was delicious.  What a great way to celebrate the end (or beginning) of summer!