Thirsty Thursday-Peach Sorbetto Bellini

An adaptation of the traditional Bellini, the peach puree is enhanced by adding red raspberries to the mix and frozen into a sorbetto. Little  melon ball sizes  of sorbetto are gently added to a glass of Prosecco or other sparkling wine. A great summer cocktail. A non-alcoholic version can be made with mixture of ginger ale and peach nectar. Also, some photos of our Italy trip, September '09.

Created by a bartender from Harry's Bar in Venice, the Bellini was named for Giovanni Bellini, a Venetian painter who was known for his sensuous style of painting using deep rich colors and delicate shades. The colors of the white peach puree reminded Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of Harry's Bar, of the colors of a toga worn by a saint in one of Giovanni Bellini's paintings. The Bellini is a mixture of Italian sparkling wine, most often, Prosecco and white Venetian peach puree. It's popularity soared in Harry's Bar in New York when an enterprising Frenchman began shipping the white peach puree to both locations. Source.

Sorbetto Bellini


4 ripe peaches, white or traditional, peeled and pitted, (see tip)
1/4 cup fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
2 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
2 bottles Italian sparkling wine, or for a non-alcoholic versions, an equal amount of ginger ale and peach nectar

In the container of a blender, combine the peaches, raspberries, water and sugar. Process until smooth. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions for you machine. Place sorbetto in a covered freezer container and place in freezer for 1 hour.

To serve, fill champagne glasses two-thirds full with Italian sparkling wine. Remove sorbetto from freezer and with a melon baller, scoop two to three balls of sorbetto in each glass, carefully sliding them into the sparkling wine. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Serves 12. Recipe from- Gelato! Italian Ice Creams, Sorbetti and Granite by Pamela Sheldon Johns.

Tip-Oxo products sells a vegetable and fruit peeler with serrated blades which makes easy work of peeling soft peaches. No more boiling water to soften the peach peels!