Spiced Apple Sorbet

It's the first week of October, but this weekend it's supposed to be 80 degrees here in the St. Louis area. That just isn't right. The leaves are just starting to change, barely. My internal clock is ready for long pants and cozy sweaters, comforting soups and casseroles, fireplace fires and cuddling under blankets...but Mother Nature isn't cooperating.

This state of seasonal schizophrenia inspired me to make ice cream at 9:30 last night. I had some apples left from the farmers' market a couple weeks ago and thought about making apple sauce. But, since it was fairly warm in my house (I refuse to turn my AC back on in October!) my apple sauce became...

Spiced Apple Sorbet

4 medium (or 6 smaller) red-skinned cooking apples, like Jonathan

1 1/4 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)
juice of 1 lemon

• Quarter & core the apples (do not peel!), then slice them into eighths.
• Put the apples, water, sugar, spice, & lemon in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.
• Turn the heat to low & simmer, covered, until the apples are tender (about 15 minutes).
• Blend the apples and their liquid in a blender until smooth.
• Strain the puree through a sieve into a small bowl. Place the bowl in an ice bath to chill the apple puree (or chill in the fridge).
• Churn the sorbet in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Initially, the mixture is brown in color. As it freezes, it will become a pretty pink color

I topped the sorbet with caramel bits, and it tasted like a caramel apple!