Tuesday, July 26, 2011

{TWD} Creamy Dark Chocolate Sorbet


This week's recipe for the Tuesdays With Dorie baking group, Creamy Dark Chocolate Sorbet, is perfect for several reasons:

1. Much (but not all - I know the Pacific Northwest has been blissfully cool) of the US has suffered through a record-breaking heat wave for the past week or so. It hasn't been as hot here in Atlanta as in other places, such as Minneapolis, or Manhattan, but it's been plenty hot enough, thank you. Any time the mercury is over 90 degrees, ice cream becomes a valid coping strategy.

2. July is National Ice Cream Month.

3. I'm having Ice Cream Week on my blog, kicked off by Sunday's blueberry ice cream post for Sundae Sunday.

n.o.e.'s notes:

- Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon chose the sorbet for us to make this week. She will have the recipe on her post this week, so head over there if you want to make this (and it's so easy that you should!)

- This recipe couldn't be simpler to make. You combine solid chocolate (chopped) with water, milk and some sugar in a pan on the stove. Boil for 5 minutes then cool in the fridge until time to churn in an ice cream maker.

- The chocolate flavor is front and center in this recipe, so use the best quality chocolate you have. I used El Rey bittersweet the first time I made this and Trader Joe's Swiss Chocolate the second time. I had to make the sorbet twice because after 3 years of weekly TWD participation, I finally forgot to photograph a recipe before consuming it, or, in this case, giving it to my book group hostess. The second time I was out of the best chocolate and felt kind of bad about the Trader Joe's stuff (which is actually quite good) when I gave the sorbet to my neighbor. Of course, she was thrilled to have homemade sorbet, no matter the kind of chocolate it contained!


the verdict:

This sorbet made a big impact at our summer book group dinner, although there were some pretty amazing desserts on hand that evening. Some folks requested the recipe, and I had no trouble convincing the hostess that her freezer needed to keep the leftover sorbet. I thought the sorbet was surprisingly rich and creamy, but then again it contains a hefty hit of solid chocolate! In fact the sorbet tasted to me like a chocolate candy bar in ice cream form, which it essentially is.

13 comments:

Cakelaw said...

It is definitely a candy bar in icecream form - but soooo good.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous post. Chocolate sorbet is incredible - and ever so slightly more virtuous than ice cream!

Peggy said...

Wow yours looks really good and frozen. I think I must have messed mine up somehow. it tasted good though. Just melted really quickly. Love yours. Thanks for all your help with my new ice cream maker. Great post.

Joy said...

I love the pics! I think it's hard to take pictures of ice cream/sorbet :)

Did you sneak a taste of the TJ version? I'm curious if you found any differences? I tried el rey, and it ended up a little grainy after freezing. I wasn't sure if it was the chocolate or I just didn't whisk enough.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

@Joy: yes, I did keep a taste of the Trader Joes batch, and it was a tiny bit grainy but not distractingly so. I think my El Rey was also, but just a bit.

Jules Someone said...

This was a delicious, strong flavored ice cream. Mine was so melty!

Unknown said...

Mine was a bit grainy too, though I'm still not entirely sure why. No matter, it was delicious so I didn't mind :)

steph- whisk/spoon said...

the firmness on yours looks perfect--just what i wish mine had been like. next time! you are right-- this is like a chilly candy bar. thanks for making the sorbet with me this week!

Helen Young said...

This is the best sorbet I have ever eaten! Creamy, chocolatley, delicious!!! Nancy made it for our book club dinner and everyone loved it.

Rachel said...

I looooved this one too! And ice cream week is a fabulous idea--I will definietly be following along!

Elaine said...

What a great description - "...a chocolate candy bar in candy form." I'm sold! I have not tried either one of the chocolates you mentioned, so I am putting them on my shopping list.

Kayte said...

Yep, looks like chocolate to me. I didn't get this one posted, maybe might yet...sort of have lost all desire to post chocolate for a bit. Surprise, surprise, right? Thanks for making it with me, though, guys liked it a whole lot.

TeaLady said...

Could not believe how intense the flavor was on this one. I can imagine how good it was with a GOOD chocolate. Sooo tasty!!

Ice Cream Week!! YAY@@