This month, resident gin chef Carol has taken Glendalough's Wild Botanical gin and turned it into a delightful and delicious sorbet! Check out what Carol has to say about her recipe and find out how to whip up your own sorbet below.

After all the excesses of Christmas, January is a time we traditionally try to make up for our over-indulgence with food of a lighter tone. January’s Gin of the Month from Glendalough is delicately perfumed with lemony elderflowers and is the perfect base for a light and refreshing sorbet.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker this can be made in the freezer – just take it out at regular intervals and mush up with a fork before popping back into the freezer.

This sorbet is a delicious ending to a dinner party, but also makes and excellent palate cleanser between a starter and a main course, or just eaten any time.

Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin & Elderflower Sorbet

with candied lemon

For the sorbet:
200ml Elderflower tonic water, plus extra for serving (optional)
150g caster sugar
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
100ml Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin, plus extra for serving (optional)
6 lemons, juiced and finely zested
3 egg whites, beaten

For the candied lemons:
100ml water
100g sugar
1 lemon, finely sliced

Method:

First make the candied lemons. Dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat. Add lemon slices and turn up the heat to a gentle simmer. Let the lemons cook for 15 minutes then remove, place on baking parchment and leave to dry.

For the sorbet, heat tonic water, sugar and juniper berries until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat, add the elderflower cordial and the juice, and lemon zest. Leave to cool.

When cool, remove the juniper berries and add the gin.

Churn in an ice cream maker until almost frozen. At this stage add the whisked egg whites and continue to churn until frozen.

To serve:
Pour a little elderflower tonic water or gin – but not both – into the bottom of a cocktail glass.
Top with a generous scoop (or more) of sorbet and garnish with a slice of candied lemon.
The sorbet can be served without tonic or gin, but I prefer it this way.