Part cocktail, part dessert, these ginger and apricot ice cream floats will kickstart your weekend

Who says ice cream floats are just for children? This ginger and apricot ice cream float recipe is designed for grown-ups and works perfectly as part of a poolside brunch menu with its vibrant sunshine shade – just add candy-striped paper straws.

The vodka can't be tasted, but it makes the sorbet easier to scoop. Leave it out if you prefer, or up the booze levels by topping with alcoholic ginger beer.

Either way, it's a fun ice cream recipe that's part cocktail – or mocktail – too.

Ingredients

• Makes 4
  • 6.2 oz golden granulated sugar
  • 1½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 21 oz ripe and fragrant apricots, halved and stoned
  • 1 tbsp vodka (optional)
• To serve:
  • 4 tbsp stem ginger syrup 
  • 18.6 fl oz ginger beer

The Homes & Gardens method

1. Put the sugar, ginger and 1½ cups of water into a medium pan. Heat through gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, then simmer for two minutes.
2. Add the apricot halves to the pan, stir to coat them in the syrup, then cover and simmer for about five minutes, until just soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. 
3. Remove the apricot halves with a slotted spoon, then peel and discard the skin. Spoon the apricots into a blender, along with the poaching liquid and the vodka, if using.
4. Blitz until very smooth. To make it even smoother, pass through a sieve and into a bowl, pressing it through with the back of a large spoon. Cover with Saran Wrap and chill for an hour. 
5. Pour the mixture into the chilled bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the instructions. (Alternatively, follow the instructions on our vanilla ice cream recipe for making ice cream without a machine.) 
6. Spoon into a chilled container, cover and freeze for at least four hours, until firm.
7. Put a tablespoon of stem ginger syrup and two small scoops of sorbet into each of four tall glasses. Top up with ginger beer and serve at once with long spoons and straws.

These ice cream floats are best served in tall cocktail glasses; we think Anthropologie's latest cocktail glass selection is the prettiest.