Stop! Put down the Haagen-Dazs ice cream

August 25, 2018August 10, 2018
by Jacqueline Whitehart

Ice cream is my kryptonite. But this watermelon sherbet is a superhero. #recipe #diet #icecream

I don’t ‘do’ missing out. There’s no diet more surely doomed to failure than one that makes you feel you’re sitting on the sidelines, forcing down a single dry salad leaf, while everyone else is falling face first into a banquet of indulgent treats.

In many ways, summer is an easier time to diet. Vibrant salads feel right, soft fruit is fresh and plentiful. But… ice cream.

Ice cream is my kryptonite. Which is why I’ve spent time discovering and developing alternatives that don’t leave me feeling both sweaty and left out. Sorbets and sherbets are the answer. Low in fat and high in refreshing zing, make up a batch in advance and freeze to guard against those weak moments when you hear yourself saying, ‘Yes, I’ll have a Magnum’.

Try this watermelon sherbet and imagine yourself being fanned by sea breezes on a Caribbean island. Or at least cooler than you were before – and smug in the knowledge that you haven’t just gulped down a fatty bowl of ice cream.

Watermelon sherbet

80 calories

This light and airy mix of frozen watermelon and yogurt makes a refreshing dessert. It is most easily made with an ice-cream machine, but I have also included instructions for making it without one.

Serves 6 • Prepared in 20 minutes + 1–4 hours freezing

50g (1¾oz) caster (superfine) sugar (197 cals)
1 normal-sized watermelon, flesh only (600g/1¼lb),
deseeded and diced (186 cals)
100g (3½oz) low-fat Greek yogurt (80 cals)
1 tsp vanilla extract (12 cals)
juice of 1 lime (4 cals)

• Heat the sugar and 50ml (scant ¼ cup) water in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Put the watermelon into a blender and pulse until smooth. Depending on the size of the blender, you’ll need to do this in several batches. Transfer the watermelon to a large bowl and stir in the sugar syrup, yogurt, vanilla extract and lime juice. Pour the mixture through a sieve (strainer) into another bowl, pressing the watermelon gently to release all the juice, and discard the pulp.
• Transfer the mixture to an ice-cream machine and churn for about 1 hour or until frozen and a ‘soft serve’ consistency. Place the sherbet in a freezerproof container and freeze until needed. Alternatively, transfer the mixture to a freezerproof container and freeze. After 30 minutes take the sherbet out of the freezer and mash it with a fork to remove any ice crystals, then return it to the freezer. Repeat this process every 30 minutes until frozen. It will take about 4 hours to freeze completely. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.