Valencia Orange Sorbet

Last night I was craving something sweet but I didn't want to just eat one of the valencia oranges we got at the farmers' market (yay SoCal).  Our moving truck arrived on Sunday, so I finally have access to all the stuff from my kitchen I have been missing.  I have my nice knives, my cast iron pans, and my ice cream maker.  So I set about creating a sorbet John and I could enjoy.  Wild success!  This sorbet has a sweet, creamy vanilla flavor and the most intense pop of orange flavor you could imagine.  It's like a more sophisticated, grown-up orange creamsicle.  It's a bit icy, because it doesn't have all the pulp like other sorbets I've made, but it is completely satisfying none-the-less.

Valencia Orange Sorbet

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar (I used raw for a less overtly sweet flavor)
2 cups valencia orange juice (I juiced about 8)
scraping from one vanilla bean (remember if you want to sub vanilla extract, choose an alcohol free variety)
3 tablespoons almond milk

Boil the water and sugar to make a syrup.  Once they boil, turn down to a simmer for about five minutes, until all the sugar has dissolved.  Let the syrup cool and add the other ingredients, pushing the vanilla against the sides of the pot to separate the little balls.  Pour into the ice cream maker and process according to the directions on the maker.  I left mine running for 25 minutes and then transferred to a container to freeze.
If you don't have an ice cream maker, this sorbet can be made by putting the combination in a shallow pan in the freezer and breaking it up every hour or so with a fork.  This method will make an icier sorbet.  If you don't have easy access to valencia oranges, other varieties can be substituted.
Serve this up in a small bowl, maybe a martini glass with a slice of orange on top to be fancy.