Apricot Sorbet Float

From the kitchen of Carly

Bright apricot sorbet spiked with sparkling wine, then crowned with fresh fruit and another pour of bubbles. It's elegant enough for dinner parties but tastes like pure summer simplicity in a glass.

Apricot Sorbet Float

Apricot sorbet is pure, bright, and intensely fruity when made right. The magic lives in simmering fresh apricots with sugar and sparkling wine so the fruit breaks down completely, then freezing the silky purée into something icy and elegant. One pour of cold Prosecco over a scoop at the table keeps it moving on the tongue.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 cupsugar
  • 1 lbapricots plus more for serving, pitted, sliced
  • 3/4 cupsparkling wine plus more for serving

Instructions

  1. Combine the sugar, 1 pound of apricots, 3/4 cup of sparkling wine, and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Drop the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Pull off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.

  2. Pour the cooled apricot mixture into a blender and puree until completely smooth. Add enough water to bring the total volume to 4 cups, then transfer everything to a large shallow baking dish. Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.

  3. Scoop the frozen sorbet into coupe glasses or bowls, then layer in a few fresh apricot slices and a splash of sparkling wine over the top.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Use apricots at their peak softness or even slightly overripe; mealy ones freeze fine and actually have more sugar. Taste the purée before freezing and add lemon juice if it feels flat or overly sweet, just a squeeze.
  • Freeze the sorbet in a shallow baking dish so it freezes evenly and you can scrape it with a fork into smaller crystals if your freezer doesn't have an ice cream maker. Deeper containers will freeze rock solid in the center.
  • If the sorbet freezes hard as a brick, let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes before scooping, or dip your scoop in hot water between scoops.

Variations

  • Swap sparkling wine for a dry white wine or skip it entirely and bump water to 2.75 cups for a cleaner, less boozy sorbet.
  • Fold candied apricots into the sorbet after it's partially frozen for texture and chew.
  • Make it a float with vanilla ice cream instead of sparkling wine on top, or serve both for a riff on the classic affogato.
  • Freeze the purée in popsicle molds for a bright, portable dessert.

Make ahead and storage

Keep frozen in an airtight container for up to two weeks, though the texture softens slightly over time. Sorbet doesn't refreeze well once scooped and melted, so portion what you'll serve within a few hours.