Margarita Sorbet
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Margaritas are the perfect summer drink- or anytime drink really. My frozen margarita sorbet is the most refreshing summer treat. It’s incredibly simple to make and only uses a handful of ingredients: tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, agave nectar, xanthan gum and ice! Get your blender ready, you will want to make this recipe ASAP!
You’ll need the following equipment:
Ingredients:
Lime
Reposado Tequila
Triple Sec
First let’s cover the basics - the classic margarita. With only three ingredients, there isn’t much to hide behind- which is why the quality of ingredients is so important.
I prefer using an aged tequila in my margaritas- I find that they make a more balanced cocktail than younger styles. This is especially true for frozen margaritas. A silver tequila will deliver a lot of those green bell pepper notes, while a reposado tequila has a much rounder flavor profile and works wonderfully in a frozen margarita.
While you can use any orange liqueur of your choosing, I prefer Cointreau- other styles of triple sec tend to have a bolder and sweeter orange flavor. I find curacao to be too heavy- I like just a hint of orange and sweetness to round out the drink.
And of course, it goes without saying- fresh lime juice is a must here.
I love a frozen margarita, but they are a bit tricky to make. Because they are frozen- certain flavors shine more than others. If you just use a standard margarita recipe and add ice- the result will not taste the same as it would if you made it on the rocks.
Dilution is another tricky area- but, for me- the most difficult part is getting the texture right.
Because of all these obstacles, I have adapted my recipe to include agave nectar and xanthan gum.
The Cointreau becomes more muted from being so cold, and agave helps to boost the sweetness level for the frozen margarita.
Xanthan gum is a thickener that is used most frequently in gluten free baking. It’s become widely available and sold at most supermarkets. Xanthan helps stop large ice crystals from forming and makes the texture so much smoother and cohesive.
To start, I’ll need to juice about 3 limes to get 3 ounces of lime juice. I’m going to juice them over a mesh strainer to catch any pulp. Once I have 3 ounces of lime juice, I’m going to freeze it in my ice cube tray.
Most recipes for frozen margaritas use lots and lots of ice- I find that too much ice overly dilutes the drink, so I like to mitigate that by substituting the extra half cup of ice with frozen lime juice.
After the lime juice has frozen, we can start making this frozen margarita sorbet. I use a Vitamix, but any high-powered blender should work for this.
First, I’ll add all the liquid components - Starting with one ounce of agave
Followed by an ounce and a half of Cointreau
Then I’ll add 3 ounces of reposado tequila.
Now I’ll go ahead and start the blender- then add the xanthan gum. I find its best to add the xanthan while the blender is running so that it doesn’t clump up and it gets thoroughly mixed in. I let it run for about 30 seconds.
The xanthan almost instantaneously thickens the drink.
Next I will add the frozen lime juice, along with 3 and a half cups of ice and start the blender on low, then increase the speed to the highest setting- I let this blend until it’s all smooth- around 45 seconds.
Once all the ice has been pulverized, I’m going to pour it into a container with a lid- the shallower the container, the faster it will freeze.
Now I’ll just pop on the lid and let this freeze for about 12 hours. I check on it halfway through to make sure it freezing evenly- the sides tend to freeze faster, so about 6 hours in, I’ll stir it all together to help it freeze more evenly.
Once it frozen- its ready to serve. I like to use an ice cream scoop to serve- it gives a great visual effect in the glass.
For garnish, I’ll going to add a lime wheel and a sprinkling of some flaky maldon salt to tie it all together.
This is a great way to end a meal for all the people out there who don’t like dessert- I absolutely love it- even though I am a big dessert person.
It has such a perfect creamy texture, just like a good sorbet or ice cream. And the flavors are perfectly balanced thanks to a little help from the agave. I hope you get a chance to give this one a try- you will not regret it!
Ingredients:
3 oz Lime Juice (frozen)
3 oz Reposado Tequila
1.5 oz Cointreau
1 oz Agave
3.5 cups of ice
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
Method:
Using a high-powered blender, blend together the agave, Cointreau and tequila, add the xanthan while the blender is running.
Add ice and frozen lime juice. Begin blending on low then increase the speed to the highest setting. Pour into a wide and shallow container and let freeze for 12 hours. 6 hours into freezing, mix to ensure even freezing.
Serve in a cocktail glass using an ice cream scoop. Garnish with a lime wheel and flaky sea salt.
Serves 4.
