Lemon Sorbet with Candied Orange Peel {Skagway, Alaska}
This Lemon Sorbet with Candied Orange Peel is fun and beautiful, and loaded with bright citrus flavors.
I just love it when a seemingly ordinary dish, with a little added attention to detail, becomes extraordinary. Take, for instance, this Lemon Sorbet with Candied Orange Peel. I’ve enjoyed both lemon sorbet and candied orange peel in the past, but never together in the same dish. And never with a splash of alcohol (optional), like we enjoyed on the Ruby Princess during our cruise to Alaska. With just a bit of extra flair, all these flavors joined together for one wonderful and tasty experience.
Be sure to read to the end of the post, after the recipe, for more on our cruise to Alaska. I am sharing about our excursion in Skagway, aboard the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, plus a few extra special onboard events we took in while sailing with Princess Cruises.
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* This post is sponsored by Princess Cruises.
The lemon sorbet was one of my favorite dishes during our cruise with Princess, served at the end of the Chef’s Table event. Its presentation was stunning. I didn’t want to wreck its composition with my spoon.
The sorbet was served in a martini glass with a gorgeous edible candy leaf as its background and candied orange peel surrounding it. Really, I thought it was more than enough when the waiter placed the glass in front of me, but then the Maitre d’ proceeded to ask if we would like to add a splash of vodka. Well, of course!
Making a sorbet is quite easy, with a minimal ingredient list. Basically, you create a flavored simple syrup on the stovetop, chill it in the refrigerator, and then freeze it in an ice cream maker.
The candied orange peel adds another citrus flavor to the dish, a bit warmer than the tarter lemon, plus contrasting in color. So pretty. And I love how the orange peel softens and lends a chewy texture.
I’ve shared with you our new “house vodka”, made right here in Minnesota. Prairie Organic Vodka. With just a small splash into the glass, the spirit elevates this frozen treat, cutting through the sweetness and creating a more slush-like concoction. Just like on the Ruby Princess sailing through the amazingness of Alaska, Blake and I have no problems getting to the bottom of our glasses, right here in Minnesota.
Lemon Sorbet with Candied Orange Peel
Ingredients
for the lemon sorbet:
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 c. water
- 2 T. fresh lemon zest
- 1.5 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
for the candied orange peel:
- 2 large oranges
- 2 c. water
- ¾ c. sugar
optional:
- vodka chilled – or I think one of the Joia sodas would go beautifully, too, for a non-alcoholic version
- 8 to 10 small sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
for the lemon sorbet:
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and stir in the lemon zest. Simmer without stirring for 10 minutes.
- Then line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth and strain the lemon mixture through the cheesecloth. Discard cheesecloth. Cool the liquid completely and then stir in the lemon juice. Refrigerate this lemon simple syrup for at least 4 hours before freezing. This step can also be done the day prior to freezing.
- Once thoroughly chilled, add the lemon simple syrup to the bowl of an ice cream maker (make sure that your bowl has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours). Turn the machine on and mix until the mixture thickens, about 25 to 30 minutes. The sorbet will have a soft texture similar to a freshly scooped Italian ice. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.
for the candied orange peel:
- Using a lemon zester, cut strips of zest from the oranges until the oranges are completely "striped" looking. In a medium saucepan, stir together the zest, water, and sugar. Simmer until the zest is translucent and tender and the liquid is reduced to approximately 1/2 cup, about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring periodically. The mixture should be thickened and syrupy.
- Remove saucepan from heat and stir in 1/2 cup juice from the fresh oranges. Chill mixture in the refrigerator.
to serve the lemon sorbet with candied orange peel:
- Place a large scoop of lemon sorbet into a chilled martini glass or small dessert bowl. Then place a few strips of candied orange peel around the edge of the lemon sorbet, followed by a teaspoon or two of the orange syrup from the candied orange peel.
optional:
- Pour a bit of chilled vodka around the outer edge of the sorbet, on top of the candied orange peel and orange syrup. Garnish with the mint.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
The early mornings were my favorite part of each day as we sailed on the Ruby Princess, our first visit to Alaska. Much of the ship was still asleep, lending even more peaceful solitude to the pristine views outside our balcony door. In this photo, we are rolling into Skagway, the northernmost point of the Inside Passage. Just looking at this picture, I can smell the fresh, brisk air and hear the gentle lapping as we glide through the emerald hued waters in the early morning light.
By the time we disembarked the ship a bit later that morning, Skagway’s skies were bright and warm with sunshine. Local Alaskans kept telling us the entire trip that we were enjoying some of their best weather ever.
Blake and I boarded the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad‘s new luxury car for a steep climb from Skagway to the summit of White Pass, nearly 3,000 feet in elevation in just 20 miles of track.
The story of this historic railroad begins with the discovery of gold in the Yukon in 1896. At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, just a couple years later, the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad was built. This afforded thousands upon thousands of gold miners a means of transportation through the challenging geography of the area.
In just 26 months, this narrow gauge railroad blasted through the rugged coastal mountains to create “the railway built of gold”. The total length of track is 110 miles long, from Skagway all the way to Carcross in Canada’s Yukon territory.
The WP&YR hugs the sides of cliffs, and travels through two tunnels and over numerous bridges and trestles. The scene was a breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, and waterfalls. It was nothing short of spectacular.
Eventually, Yukon’s mining industry collapsed due to low mineral prices. The WP&YR was forced to suspend operations in 1982 until reopening in 1988 as a seasonal tourism operation.
The Ruby Princess was never without a gorgeous backdrop on our trip to Alaska.
Leaving the port of Skagway meant turning the ship back to the south, to return to Seattle. On the return trip we traveled quite a ways out from land, in much more open waters, not at all like the tighter Inside Passage where we could see land (mountains) on both sides at all times.
We traveled for almost two full days from Skagway to the final port at Victoria, British Columbia. This allowed for relaxation onboard the ship, plus some fun events planned for us by Princess.
While we had already gotten one tour of a galley (there are five galleys on the Ruby Princess!) prior to eating at the Chef’s Table, we were given a second tour, a bit more extensive. The Hotel General Manager led us back through the huge kitchen and then to the lower decks where we stepped into giant refrigerator rooms full of fresh food and walked the halls of the crew.
We were also treated to a bridge tour, complete with floor to ceiling views from every angle. Captain Karl Austin spoke with us about his life navigating the seas, and how the ship’s bridge is kept fully manned around the clock by himself and several other officers.
From the bridge’s wing, which extends out beyond the width of the rest of the ship, we were afforded an awesome view down the side of the Ruby Princess.
This wall of cubbies holds flags from various foreign countries, flown out of courtesy while the ship is in foreign waters, plus miscellaneous flags depicting other “sailor talk”.
Our cruise to Alaska aboard the Ruby Princess was truly a trip of a lifetime. Blake and I cannot recommend it enough. If you ever get the opportunity, jump onboard!
Did you see the previous posts we shared about our trip with Princess Cruises? You can catch all the amazingness right here:
- 10 Tips For Planning Your Alaska Cruise
- Cheesy Grilled Crab Quesadillas {Ketchikan, Alaska + Misty Fjords National Monument}
- Homemade Limoncello {Alaska: Tracy Arm Fjord + Sawyer Glacier}
- Chocolate Mousse Cups
- Crab Bisque {Juneau, Alaska + Mendenhall Glacier}
Follow a farmgirl’s dabbles’s board a farmgirl’s dabbles Travel (#AFDtravel) on Pinterest.
Disclaimer: Blake and I were extremely honored to be guests of Princess Cruises on a recent 7-day Alaska Cruise, and grateful for the opportunity to share it all with you. Thank you for supporting us and the brands we so carefully choose to work with. All of the experiences in this post are personal to our week in Alaska. Your experiences may vary. All opinions expressed are our own.
i love lemon! I will try this recipe in a dinner.
A cruise to Alaska is definitely high on my bucket list! Looks like a great choice on Princess! That lemon sorbet is killer, too! What a lovely way to remember your cruise!
This sorbet sounds like the perfect dessert for summertime! And of course, you HAVE to add a splash of vodka. ;) And what an amazing Alaskan adventure you had! Alaska is definitely breathtaking.
I have not yet done a cruise to Alaska– it’s something we’ve always wanted to do though! The train ride looks like an amazing excursion!
Your pictures are absolutely stunning!! Your sorbet is divine. Sign me up for this trip, it looks amazing!!
All these posts & photos really make me want to visit Alaska. Hasn’t always been so high on the “must do” list, but certainly is quite high up there now… beautiful!
I did this trip on the Ruby 10 years ago, it was my introduction to Princess and I loved it. I’ve been on 8 additional Princess Cruises since then. The train was a lot of fun and my hubby and I took one of my favorite pictures of us. I wished I was blogging back then, I would have been able to capture the memories like you have!
I loved following along your Alaskan adventure!! And this sorbet is speaking my lemon-loving name!
I’m making Alaska my next destination! The pictures are breathtaking!! Also the lemon sorbet with orange peel looks so refreshing. I’ll take that anyday!
First of all, that sorbet looks amazing!! And I’m sailing on the Ruby Princess in a couple of weeks and can’t contain my excitement. The only thing that would make it better is if it was an Alaskan cruise. ;)