Sorbet

Many dessert menus include a colorful sorbet plate-light and refreshing after a rich meal. Offer elegant cookies alongside. For the pink grapefruit sorbet recipe, we prefer Essencia, a dessert wine with the unique flavor of orange muscat grapes. It's made by Quady Vineyards in central California. If you cannot find it, use a Sauternes or a late-harvest Riesling.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 8 1/4 hr (includes chilling and freezing)

Sorbete de Gazpacho Sobre
Gelée de Manzana Many of Spain's celebrated chefs have tinkered with traditional gazpachos, transforming them into dishes worthy of the most creative kitchens. A favorite variation is gazpachos (both red and white) made into sorbets and included as part of a tasting menu. This luscious coral-colored sorbet, adapted from a recipe by chef Sergio López Domínguez, of Tragabuches restaurant, in Ronda, looks stunning served over a bed of diced apple aspic and drizzled with caramelized balsamic vinegar. López likes to sprinkle the sorbet with a garnish of finely chopped mojama, a salt-cured tuna. The blend of flavors in the dish works sensationally well, with or without the extra garnish.

Kir royale, the French aperitif of Champagne with a splash of cassis, becomes a sophisticated sorbet or granita. If you have them, Champagne coupes or martini glasses make elegant servers.

Here's a lemon-based treat that is so good it will knock you over. It's accented with blue curaçao for a striking color. For something fun, serve the sorbet in scallop shells, which are sold at cookware stores.

Because watermelons vary in size and shape, your yield from the following recipe may differ from ours. We began with a fourth of a large watermelon. When slicing the watermelon, aim for a minimum of four slices but be aware that you could have as many as six, depending on the configuration of your melon; a long, narrow watermelon will give more slices than a fatter, rounded one.

Three very trendy ingredients — mango, lemongrass, and blood oranges — all come together in this unique dessert.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Sorbete de Zarzamora Berries are cultivated near the small colonial town of Valle de Bravo, outside Mexico City. Sorbets and ice creams are enormously popular throughout Mexico.

This dessert is a refreshing way to conclude a spicy southwestern meal. For a festive note, dip the rims of frozen Margarita glasses into water and then into a bowl of sugar. Attach a lime slice to the lip of the glass and fill with sorbet.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

A modern take on old-fashioned ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cone "drumsticks." For a rich, satisfying but lower-fat dessert, serve the delicious chocolate sorbet on its own without mixing in the peanut butter cup candies.