Sorbet

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 refreshing dessert is based on the classic cranberry sauce made from one bag of cranberries, one cup of sugar, and one cup of water (the recipe is usually on the back of the bag). Most cooked cranberry sauces should also work, so feel free to experiment.

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

Ninety-nine percent of cava—Spanish sparkling wine—is made in Catalonia. So it's natural that the bubbly beverage has found its way into many elegant Catalan desserts. Here it is combined with the luscious flavors and bright colors of strawberries and oranges in a refreshing sorbet.

Orange juice and pomegranate juice enhance the light sorbet. The compote would also be good over store-bought strawberry sorbet or ice cream.

Move over, cranberry sauce! This sorbet is an alternate way of bringing that tangy flavor to the table.

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

You would never guess that this dense and creamy dessert is nondairy and kosher for Passover. Since the recipe contains egg yolks, this is not a sorbet in the strict sense, but the yolks do provide a rich texture.

Seedless watermelons are on the market these days, but I prefer the old-fashioned ones with big black seeds — easy to see and remove. Then proceed with the recipe.

The leftover syrup from the lychees makes a delicious sweetener for iced tea. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

Strawberry sorbet, with a hint of sweet bitterness thanks to Campari, sits on tangy yogurt whipped cream and gets topped with vanilla meringue shards.

Turn juicy-sweet peaches into creamy sorbet, no ice cream maker required.