Mini meringue baskets filled with pomegranate sorbet

Ingredients

Pomegranate sorbet
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Meringue baskets
1 large egg white
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cornstarch

Directions

To make sorbet: Stir together sugar and water in a medium saucepot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Transfer sugar syrup to a bowl and stir in pomegranate juice, lemon juice and salt. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until scoopable, about 3 hours, depending on your freezer.

To make meringue baskets: Draw eighteen 1 1/4-inch circles at least 1/2 inch apart on a piece of parchment paper. Turn parchment paper over and place it on a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whip egg white in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add half the sugar in a slow, steady stream. Whip until very thick and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes with a stand mixer, or about 5 minutes with a handheld mixer. Fold in remaining sugar and cornstarch.

Place a 1/4-inch star tip in a pastry bag and fill the bag with meringue. Pipe each basket by filling the circle with a single coil of meringue. Continue piping around the outside of the circle until you have formed a round basket about 1 inch high. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then remove them with a metal spatula.

Using a very small scoop or melon baller, fill meringues with sorbet. Serve immediately, or freeze until ready to serve.

Makes eighteen 1 1/4-inch baskets

A Passion for Ice Cream (Chronicle Books 2006)