| Chocolate Sorbet |
Author: Nicole
Ingredients
- 2-1/4 cups water (divided)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (see Notes)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (see Notes)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquor such as Grand Marnier, bourbon, rum, vodka (see Notes)
- For garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped salted nuts such as pistachios, almonds or pecans or a few sprinkles of flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
Instructions
Prep
- In a large saucepan (4 quarts or more) over high heat, whisk 1-1/2 cups water, sugar, cocoa powder and salt.
- Bring to a boil whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk for 45 seconds.
- Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until it's melted.
- Stir in vanilla extract, liquor and remaining ¾ cup water.
- Transfer mixture to a blender or Vitabmix and blend for 15 seconds or until smooth on high. Do not skip this step as the sorbet may turn out grainy.
Chill
- Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Pour mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath.
- Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.
- Or if you are not finishing the ice cream on the same day you can chill the mixture in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Freeze
- Pour mixture into the frozen canister of your ice cream maker. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into the canister, whisk it vigorously to thin it out. Spin until thick and creamy.
- The sorbet is finished at the exact moment when the machine isn’t freezing the sorbet anymore; sorbet will begin to pull away from the side (about 20 to 25 minutes).
- Pack sorbet into a freezer-safe storage container, press a sheet of parchment paper directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid.
- Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 6 hours and up to a few weeks.
Notes
* This recipe is free of gluten, diary, eggs, peanuts, soy and corn.
* You can use natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder. Dutch-process produces an even more intense chocolate flavor. I used natural and was very pleased with how chocolatey it was.
* I used Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars (70%). If you want to ensure this recipe is dairy-free, check the ingredients on the chocolate bars you use. Cocoa butter is naturally gluten-free (it’s not made with butter).
* Adding a bit of liquor makes it easier to scoop. Use 1 tablespoon if you don’t want the added flavor and 2 tablespoons if you do. You can leave it out entirely if you prefer not to include any liquor.
* Want a bit of orange with your chocolate? Use 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) and 1 teaspoon orange extract in place of the vanilla extract. The flavor is subtle but lovely.
* You can use natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder. Dutch-process produces an even more intense chocolate flavor. I used natural and was very pleased with how chocolatey it was.
* I used Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars (70%). If you want to ensure this recipe is dairy-free, check the ingredients on the chocolate bars you use. Cocoa butter is naturally gluten-free (it’s not made with butter).
* Adding a bit of liquor makes it easier to scoop. Use 1 tablespoon if you don’t want the added flavor and 2 tablespoons if you do. You can leave it out entirely if you prefer not to include any liquor.
* Want a bit of orange with your chocolate? Use 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) and 1 teaspoon orange extract in place of the vanilla extract. The flavor is subtle but lovely.
Recipe by Riegl Palate at https://www.rieglpalate.com/chocolate-sorbet/