Serves 8

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Juice of 2 lemons

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups fresh-squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest, grated

• Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then place in refrigerator to chill.

• Mix lemon juice, vanilla, orange juice, and zest with sugar syrup.

• Process in a sorbet or ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Or freeze in a shallow pan in the freezer, break up into chunks when frozen, and pulse chunks in a food processor to make a coarse ice.

Kitchen Essentials

The newest ice cream and sorbet makers work with improved frozen cylinders that eliminate the messy business of salt, ice, and brine buckets. The down side — you have to freeze the cylinders for 8–24 hours before using. The up side — no mess, and if you do a little planning, you can have homemade ices and ice creams any weeknight.