Peach Champagne Sorbet

There's been a spare bottle of champagne kicking around my fridge for a while now. That's probably not a problem that most people have, but my fridge is not most people's. Instead of waiting for a celebratory occasion to pop the cork [although I don't really need an excuse], I thought I'd use it to whip up a batch of refreshing summery sorbet.

I thought just using the champagne would be a little too much, and I didn't want to water down the flavor, so I decided to mix it with peaches. It was light and delicious and perfect for the hot summer barbeque I brought it to.

Invite a friend over when you make this, as you'll have about 2 glasses of extra champagne left over if you open a new bottle. Or just drink them both yourself.

Peach Champagne Sorbet

3 medium sized ripe peaches (the ripest you can find!)

1/2 cup cooled 1:1 simple syrup (recipe follows)

1 cup peach juice

2 cups champagne (I used Barefoot Bubbly)

1. Peel and pit peaches and slice into chunks. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.

2. Whisk puree, syrup, juice, and champagne together in a bowl. Pour into ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

3. Pour into container, cover and freeze for a few hours or overnight.

4. Serve alone or put a scoop in a glass and top with more champagne.

1:1 Simple Syrup

This is great to use for sweetening cold drinks because the sugar is already dissolved. Put it out on your drink mix table at your next party! You can make it in any quantity, just use the same amount of sugar and water.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium heat until liquid is clear.

2. Remove from heat. Cool. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Keeps for about two months.