Sour Cherry-Lime Sorbet with Amaretti Cookies

Ingredients

• For the sorbet:
• 1 pound sour cherries, rinsed and pitted
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons juice from about 6 limes
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vodka
• For the amaretti:
• 3 cups blanched slivered almonds
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon almond extract or 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
• Pinch salt
• Demerara or muscovado sugar, for garnish

Directions

1. For the sorbet, add the cherries and sugar to a medium saucepan and heat until the mixture boils. Put on the lid, lower the heat, and let it gently simmer for 5 minutes. Cool the mixture completely before moving on.
2. Transfer the cooked cherries to a blender, then add the remaining sorbet ingredients. Blend until smooth, strain the mixture, and churn it in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer's directions. Spoon it into a container with a tight-fitting lid and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.
3. For the amaretti, put the almonds and sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely ground. Add the remaining ingredients and process until you have a thick paste. Wrap the dough snugly in plastic wrap and chill it overnight so it can firm up.
4. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300 degrees F. With cold, damp hands, lightly shape the dough into marble-sized balls. Rinse your hands and wipe them with a damp towel often so the dough does not cling too much.
5. Arrange the balls an inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone liners. Shower them generously with sugar in the raw, then bake for 15 minutes. Turn the pans, and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. To check them, slice one cookie open; they are ready when the toasty color reaches all the way to the middle. Cool completely before packing them into airtight containers.