If your New Year's plans include a dinner at home, whip up a batch of this champagne citrus sorbet to serve as a dessert, or as a unique treat at midnight. One your girl will remember all year.

And fresh fruit sorbets are much easier to make that you might think. Especially if you have an ice cream maker... which are available from major home retailers for about $50. If you don't have one, you'll have more work to do, but it's still no harder than mixing and stirring ingredients.

This sorbet mixes the dry, clean flavor of a good champagne with the tart sweetness of citrus fruit. Think of it as a frozen Mimosa. Which also makes it good for serving when you invite her over to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Champagne Citrus Sorbet
2 cups good champagne
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice
1 tsp orange zest (optional, but adds a flavor kick)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
(Makes about a quart)

In a medium saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil. (Optional: Add in the orange or grapefruit zest.) Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes while stirring to completely dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, and let cool for approximately 10 minutes.

In a large bowl add the champagne, fruit juice, lemon juice and the simple syrup you just made. Stir thoroughly. Let cool by placing in the freezer for a few minutes, or in the fridge overnight.

Transfer to an ice cream maker and mix according to their directions.

Or, if you don't have an ice cream maker, pour the mix into a container and put it in the freezer. in about an hour, or when the mix is starting to solidify, stir it up with a fork and refreeze. When it's completely frozen you can put it in a blender for a few spins to smooth it out.

Keep in the freezer for up to a week.