I’m going to take a brief break from your food phobias today to tell you about my newest one. It lives in the freezer. It controls my mind, and at times, my spoon. And at the rate we’re going, it will be the very end of me. Or my waistline. Or my husband, as he leaves me for the Paris-dweller who envisioned this masterpiece.
It goes by the innocent-sounding name chocolate sorbet but even typing those words was enough to send my resistance into a tailspin and I had to go into the freezer to get another taste, cursing Lebovitz the whole way there and whispering sweet nothings into my spoon on the way back.
I suppose you could say I’m having a Chocolate Weak Week, except it started last week when I was getting a pedicure and they had these tiny chocolate brownie nuggets out and I wasn’t even hungry but the entire 45 minutes of buffing and rebirthing my feet into the kind The Other Half walk on I was thinking “There’s a tiny bite of chocolate brownie in the corner. There’s a tiny bite of chocolate brownie in the corner…” ad infinitum. (When I finally swooped down on my prey an hour later, it didn’t even disappoint.)
I was determined to make brownies when I got home but a) aargh, bathing suit season and b) I scraped together the few tablespoons of chocolate chips, four squares of a Ghiradelli bar and 2 ounce lump of Callebaut leftover from the wedding cake’s brandied ganache filling–the whole of our chocolate supply in the pantry–and found myself with only six ounces of chocolate.
And then I remembered the chocolate sorbet recipe in The Perfect Scoop.
And how I’d bookmarked it after rejecting one from Pure Dessert (recipe: one-plus pounds of chocolate + two-plus cups of water: melt, churn, freeze) that had me thinking if I was going to eat one pound of chocolate, it wasn’t going to be like that. But six ounces? That’s practically moderation.
And by some miracle, I had exactly 3/4 cup of Galler cocoa left (thanks, in-laws for the gift!).
And it made the kitchen smell like some madly intense hot cocoa, giving me a little Seasonal Confusion Disorder.
And then I dipped my spoon in the unfrozen mixture and practically blacked out with joy.
This stuff is better than brownies. It’s awesomer than the fudgiest chocolate ice cream. It makes chocolate truffles taste like they’re not trying hard enough. It could send that brandied ganache home with its tail between its legs.
It’s not much longer for the smitten kitchen.
Chocolate Sorbet
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop
This is not a sorbet for chocolate moderates. It’s for people who like chocolate to be all they can taste when they bite into something. And for the love of all that is bathing suit season, someone with better moderation than me, because I suspect it is no longer “light” if you eat it all.
Servings: Makes 1 quart (1 liter) but you can tell your husband less so he doesn’t figure out how much you’ve kept from him. (At least until he sees the chocolate smudges on your face.)
2 1/4 cups (555 ml) water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large saucepan (yes, you must use a large one or it will bubble over. Trust me.), whisk together 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.
Have you tried the chocolate ice cream recipe from The Perfect Scoop? It is remarkably good – tastes likes frozen pudding, but the best pudding you ever ate. I am looking forward to trying the sorbet: ice cream decadence without the egg yolks and cream. :-)
Thanks for posting something chocolate-y! I have also been craving it all week!
For some reason my family doesn’t have an ice cream maker (though my sister promised me one when I get married…which is likely not for a very long time…). Guess I’ll have to stick to Double Rainbow’s wickedly good version till then.
Mmm that looks delicious! And probably great for summer, since sorbet is not as rich as ice cream. I wish I had an ice cream maker :(
I made this recipe for Mothers Day and it was RIDICULOUS how good it was and how easy it was. I am still drooling thinking about it – and yes I too found myself in the middle of the night with a spoon and the freezer open – you are not alone. It was heaven. HEAVEN.
deb, that sorbet just looks like a big scoop of brownie batter. a luscious, chocolatey, makes-your-life-happy scoop of chocolatey goodness. you just made my day at work go better.
Suggestions for an affordable ice cream maker – my freezer is often full, so nothing that requires a huge amount of ice cream space, please! I love chocolate sorbet, but often find the purchased kind has a weird aftertaste.
I just bought one from Kohls…..it was $60, but I had kohls cash and a coupon code….2 of them actually…Cuisinart. i think my final price was aroind $28. We made ice cream with it last week, plan to try this sorbet tomorrow night with friends
putting my ice cream tub maker thingy in the freezer as I type…
Wow, this would be amazing next to a scoop of my homemade blueberry ice cream. See, the blueberries would make it “healthy”…. yes, yes they would. :)
This looks great – and it has to be somewhat healthier than ice cream, right?
Wow, this looks delicious! I’ve put my ice cream machine in the freezer right now, so I can make it tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!
chocolate sorbet is one of those things that would make me tell state secrets. and weakens my knees considerably. interestingly enough, though i’ve loved all things chocolate AND have made chocolate ice cream (among other chocolate stuffs), i have to say that chocolate sorbet just beats them all hands down. i say i will ignore my life’s woes at the moment and work on making myself some edible therapy. thighs and waistline be damned. i deserve a chocolate sorbet. period. my only question to you is this, lady where do you get pedicures where they ply you with chocolate?
Allie — Glad you asked. I have this one from Cuisinart. It’s just fine, works well, etc. The only thing I’m not mad about is the motor noise (but I hate all background noise entirely, it’s just a schtick of mine and yes I know I live in NYC but I’ve digressed…) so I churn stuff in the bedroom if we’re in the living room and vice-versa. (You know, we have so many rooms to choose from, it’s hard sometimes.)
However, if I had thought ahead when I chose my machine, I would have gotten the Kitchen Aid bowl/attachment. It works exactly the same way, but as a bonus, you don’t need an extra appliance if you have a KA already.
radish — Bliss, though I can assure you that it’s not where I “get†pedicures. It was just one time thing, as I had a g.c. from Alex for one and a massage–a Valentines 2007 gift! I was saving it for a special occasion. Or last Thursday, whatever.
I LOVE “The Perfect Scoop” and I think that the chocolate sorbet was the first thing I made when I bought the book. I’m diligently trying to work my way through as many recipes as I can. This weekend I made the most perfect French Vanilla using my own homemade vanilla extract. I have enough for one more serving I think…
My new ice cream maker is going to get a good work out! I can taste it already!
Any recommendations for ice cream makers? Are there any that do not require putting the bowl in the freezer that don’t cost a fortune?
I’m off to throw my icecream maker bowl in the freezer so that I will be eating this tomorrow ;)
Allie- I just found the most fantastic ice cream maker @ a local thrift store for $5, after toying for the last couple of summers with the idea of sinking $100+ into an electric one. I couldn’t be happier with the results! I think they go for about $30 brand new: http://www.donvier.com/donvier/products/icecream.html . You just have to give it a stir every 2 or 3 minutes- it actually baffles me that anyone ever decided to add electricity to the concept!
wow, i’m pretty much ready to lick my screen. that looks amazing and i think i’ll put my old hand churned ice cream maker to work with this recipe for sure. looks amazing.
Wow. I can’t decide if I’m really glad we got rid of our ice cream maker or really ticked off. That looks amazing and I know I’d dive head first into that bowl and eat my way out. Definitely NOT good for the hips! Thanks for the recipe – I think.
Hi, first time commenting here! I’ve never had any sorbet that wasn’t fruit, but your sorbet looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this in my new ice cream maker.
Oh you’re killing this hot, pregnant Mama. That sounds and looks divine.
Too funny – okay, I’ve got to tell a long story. I haven’t been able to get chocolate out of my head. I’ve been craving it like nothing else for the past two weeks. I’ve also been trying hard to not gorge myself on sweets… but the chocolate craving persisted, and the other night I made a 1/6th portion of the ina garten brownie recipe you listed on your website.
So, with 1/6th of a recipe, I made 5 little 4x3x1/4″ brownies, which, , ah, erm, turn out to 500 calories apiece. APIECE. Like three mouth-fulls. (The brownies, by the way, were indescribably delicious and I will definitely make them again)
So I decided to pawn the brownies off on someone else and turn to another flavor to fill my craving. Clearly my logic worked well, because I decided to make this (even more) calorie-laden lemon gelato:
http://oughttobeworking.blogspot.com/2008/02/luscious-lemon-gelato-and-control-fix.html
And then I had to make these cookies again (because how could I make the gelato without the cookies):
http://oughttobeworking.blogspot.com/2008/02/soft-ginger-cookie-land.html
And by the time I got to the end of the week with a freezer full of ice cream and a counter piled with cookies, I could have just eaten the whole brownie batch anyway.
So, I am really craving chocolate still… and this recipe is going to do the trick : ) can’t wait to try it! thanks for posting
David Lebovitz is certainly one of my heroes. I bought Perfect Scoop at the same time as my ice cream maker (I have the same Cuisinart one, and it IS a little loud!) and I made the vanilla for the first time last week. Oh sweet mama. So delicious. Thanks to you, I think chocolate sorbet is next. Does it get awfully firm in the freezer since it’s just chocolate and water?
No! It stays surprisingly fudgy, which was my favorite part. Damnit, now I’m thinking about it again. Just say No, Deb!
I can see that working from home in such close proximity to your freezer may actually be a wee drawback right about now. :D
Fabulous!! Having recently gone dairy free, I miss ice cream like crazy, and finding a good sorbet makes me wanna jump with joy.
And it will make my ice cream maker shiver in anticipation- you see, it’s been very lonely since I stopped making that amazing(ly) rich luscious strawberry ice cream with a ton of whole milk and heavy cream but ohmygod was that ever good. That’s why I miss it!
Is there any way to do this without an ice cream maker? I’m lactose intolerant and this would feed my serious chocolate and ice cream cravings without resulting to gross soy ice cream. Thanks!!
Deb- that looks and sounds fantastic. I would put it waaaay back in my freezer with a toxic sticker just in case The Husband got any crazy ideas. That’d be all mine baby.
God Bless you, Deb.
I made this sorbet and while the flavor was out of this world, the texture was very gritty. Has this happened to anyone? More importantly, does anyone know how to fix it? Thank you!
I think The Perfect Scoop is one of the best cookbooks ever written. And I’m not saying that just because David is adorable. So filled with great recipes and thorough instructions. Looks like you found a good one to try out!
It is only 10 degrees Celsius here, but I could easily dive into this – yum!
Oh wow! What a sexy texture that sorbet has! It looks miles better than my last attempt at chocolate sorbet, and I suspect that’s because it includes chocolate as wel as cocoa. Why on earth didn’t I think of that??
Oh, thank you! May day may now be complete. I am getting ready to throw a pizza on the grill and open a bottle of wine. Making this sorbet sounds much better than the post-dinner run I had planned for this very hot evening.
Oh my! I may have to go to the grocery store for some chocolate and cocoa powder. Like, right now.
I can’t believe I just checked in on your blog–immediately after I made David Lebovitz’s Green Tea ice cream!!! So far I’ve made that and his delicious mint ice cream (because of you!). I LOVE the book. I’ll be making the chocolate sorbet next (or maybe after the mango sorbet…or the toasted coconut…or….)!
Oh my goodness! This looks incredible.
Jenn@27 – I’ve made small amounts of ice cream (like, a cup or so of milk’s worth) in ziploc bags. Put the ingredients in a small bag (you really want the sturdier freezer bags), put ice and salt and the small bag into a larger bag. Shake for twenty minutes. It doesn’t freeze up as solidly as store-bought, or even as an ice-cream maker will make, but it’s definitely ice cream. (Great mini-project for summer camp – the kids use up all sorts of energy keeping their bags going for 20 minutes.)
I’ve never tried it with sorbet, but the principle is similar enough that i suspect it would work okay.
We made this last summer and completely agreed with how wonderful it is, and because it’s dairy/egg free it’s great for people with food allergies.
Also, you can make great variations like chocolate-chile, chocolate-mint, chocolate-cinnamon, chocolate-coffee, etc.
Oh, this looks like heaven in a bowl.
Working my way through The Perfect Scoop has been my unofficial summer project this year. I’ve already swooned over the roasted banana ice cream and the heavenly strawberry frozen yogurt. Somehow I thought chocolate sorbet might not satisfy but with your praise I guess it’s next up. Thanks!
I am salivating just reading this. Your photos are perfect. Your writing is great. Now, to make this! I cannot wait. It’s going to happen soon. I completely love chocolate.
That looks delicious. I could taste chocolate ice cream in my mouth as I was looking at the photos.
As with Jenn (#27), I would like to ask if you have tried making ice cream/sorbet/etc. without an ice cream maker. I have no ice cream maker nor KA.
Funny you should mention David and chocolate. I had some vanilla Haagy the needed dressing so I made his Best Chocolate Sauce the other day. The recipe has the identical ingredients of his Gelato that you posted..just different proportions. This sauce is SO outstanding, I’ve used up all the spoons in my kitchen dipping into that darn sauce. I’m gonna store the rest of it in my Robitussin bottle for my, hack..hack, cough. Nobody will suspect a thing. At least until I pour it on some more ice cream.
This looks sooo good, but it’s almost 10 o’clock, on a Tuesday night, and I have work tomorrow, but the bowl to my cuisinart ice cream machine is nice and ready, in the freezer, just waiting, cocoa’s in the cupboard, ghirardelli in the drawer, such a dilemma, such decadence, how will I ever get those photo’s out of my head?
I would add to Abby’s comment @37 that when you use this method, you can throw the two bags in a salad spinner and save yourself a lot of elbow grease, and it firms up nicely.
hmm i was already planning on making chocolate ice cream tomorrow… maybe it’ll have to be sorbet instead. It looks so good!
My favorite “chocolate sorbet” is actually from Pure Dessert, but it only has cocoa powder. It’s so rich. Just like Ciao Bella’s chocolate sorbet and practically guilt free. Here’s the recipe: http://www.sugoodsweets.com/blog/2008/06/chocolate-sorbet-2/.
You got me. Or did David get me? Perhaps you’re tag teaming me……….not that I’m paranoid……..chocolate sorbet mix is cooling…..husband is wondering what other *sauces* can be made into sorbet/ice cream…..a nice new smear in my “Perfect Scoop” cookbook…..Thanks for the nudge in this chocolate-y direction.
I am hooked! I felt like you were eating it while you were writing this and looking at the pictures seemed to confirm this! I may have to make this for this weekend, having a few people ober for BBQ and I know they will love this!
Stop by my blog, my new design is up, yippee!!!
http://www.lifeislikechampagneblog.com/
I am in love with chocolate, but I’ve never found the idea of chocolate sorbet appealing. It just doesn’t seem it would have the right creaminess, or smoothness. I trust your taste test, though, and this one will be worth a try once I get an ice cream maker. I’ve been coveting the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid!
Omg, the sorbet looks gorgeous! i Soooo want to try it! Lovely pix btw.
Between mild dairy allergies and vegan friends, I’ve been looking for a good chocolate sorbet recipe. I think I can stop looking now!
Your sorbet looks so delicious – I love chocolate and I love chocolate sorbet! Time to make my own now! Thanks for your recipe!
that looks to die for!
I just wanted to update, super easy to make..but….it’s a heck of a lot easier to eat…..I do not say this lightly, it’s the most intense chocolate frozen treat I’ve ever had. YUMMMMM! Thanks for the blog about it, I’m not sure I would have been pushed over the chocolate edge if were not for your descriptions!
I had felt the same way as Lisa D. above, that chocolate sorbet never sounded appealing but I am sooooo happy I was wrong!
ooohhhhhhhh You have sent me to heaven and back again.
Yes, indeed. As I have been patiently working my way through The Perfect Scoop, thie chocolate sorbet has definitely been a highlight. So smooth and rich. I have been craving another batch, and I think you may have just given me the inspiration with those photos. This week, I made the Roasted Banana Ice Cream from The Perfect Scoop, which was also really good.
Now THAT is what I have been looking for!!!!!
Thank you!
It looks SO good, esp for someone like me, with that weakness of mine for chocolate.
Though I already give up the idea of making one since I don’t own an ice cream machine. It won’t be the same…
Call me stupid but when you say “freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions” does that mean it doesn’t require churning? Does sorbet not need churning?
I have the kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment (let’s hear it for wedding registries!) and it works great!
Yeah! Love the chocolate sorbet!!! I bought an ice cream maker about 8 months ago and it has been so much fun! I made watermelon sorbet 2 x this week ~ didn’t eat it all myself , I promise.
Thanks Sharon May
I think cocoa powder is one of those miraculous ingredients — the best brownie recipe and chocolate muffin recipe I have call for zero melted chocolate, all cocoa powder. This looks amazing. I don’t know why I haven’t purchased The Perfect Scoop yet!
Andrea — That meant the manufacturer for your ice cream maker. That said, there are a few tips out there for those of you want to make ice cream/yogurt/sorbet without coughing up for one. (Though as I mentioned in an earlier comment, mine was $49 full-price, and I see it on sale all the time for as little as half of that.)
Chocolate is good for us, haven’t they proven that? And I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they prove that it’s even better for diabetics! I’m going to throw caution to the wind – and my glucose meter – and make this the minute I get back from the store…my pantry is in desperate need of chocolate! Thanks, I think, I’ll let you know when I come out of my chocolate sorbet coma. Nan
Okay, when this page first came up it took a while for the pictures to load. So I saw the title of this post – ‘chocolate sorbet’- and had a kind of ‘meh’ moment. Chocolate icecream: sure. Chocolare anythingelse: okay. I was a bit dubious over ‘sorbet’.
And then the picture loaded up.
BE STILL MY HEART.
Have I mentioned I love you? I mean, I know I mention this casually in every comment. But really. I adore you. I know I wanted to live under your kitchen table, but I have since rethought. I want to live in your freezer. It will be cold, but worth it.
Well, that about does it for me getting a salad for lunch… I hope there’s a Mr. Frostee on the corner.
Delicious! My spoon is ready to dive it! :)
I am currently a bit smitten with chocolate sorbet – i have had a couple at local restaurants which have been divine. I also made my own adding lime into the mix. I think chocolate and lime is one of life’s best kept secrets, it has an especially intriguing impact when you can’t ‘see’ it is there. people can rarely guess the flavour!
Deb,
I’m enjoying your blog and had to add my comment regarding ice cream makers. I, too have the Donvier which I paid $5 for at the Good Will. It’s like the Cuisinart in that you have to pre-freeze the bowl, but you don’t have that annoying motor. You just give it a couple turns every couple minutes and VOILA! ice cream in a matter of minutes. I also think the consistency is better than an electric for some reason. I currently have 4 kinds of homemade superb icecream in my deepfreeze:
plain ‘ol vanilla, dulche de leche, raspberry and lemon-blueberry yogurt. Too bad I’m also on a diet….I just like to make ice cream.
How is it that I’ve never heard of chocolate sorbet before? And how is it that I find myself without an ice cream machine? Where did my life go so terribly, terribly wrong?
i’ve made this as well
and it really is quite wonderful…
I wish I had an icecream maker! This sorbet looks absolutley sinful! I love it!
Your blog is simply gorgeous.
I worked in a pastry kitchen at a bistro in Boston and we made chocolate sorbet often. It was really good paired with coconut sorbet. I think I need to buy “The Perfect Scoop”!!
I’m ready to commit myself to chocoholics anonymous after viewing your pictures. The first picture had me gasping for air. It looks just magnificent. Thanks for making me chocolate crazy! ;)
I think this will have to be my next “Perfect Scoop” recipe to try! If I make a batch of the Malted Milk ice cream, that should distract my hubby enough that I can keep the sorbet ALL to myself!! If you haven’t tried the malted milk one, it’s amazing, as is the Guiness Milk Chocolate ice cream–what man *wouldn’t* love beer and chocolate?!
The Lebovitz. I love that man… Huge fan of his recipes (matcha green tea ice cream, peppermint ice cream, chocolate ice cream, coffee ice cream…) I make them but can’t indulge because of lactose intolerance but THIS… this sorbet – oh my (fanning flushed face with hand). It looks sinfully wonderful.
As one of the Chocolate People, I approve of this recipe. I must try it, even though the brownies I made the other day are still calling to me from the kitchen. It’s as if they know that I exercised today, and surely a small piece won’t cancel it out *entirely*.
Will you teach me how to prepare raw foods like the place I just put on my blog? It’s soooo good.
Joce
That was me BTW. On my sisters computer and forgot to change the comment info. Oops!
Does that ever look good!
Curse curse curse the lack of an ice cream maker. And that “sorbet” title seems so much healthier than ice cream or custard. sigh. I must do something to remedy this.
That was the first recipe out of the “Perfect Scoop” that I tried, and its fantastic!
Ering – To avoid grittiness, be sure to whiz it in the blender for a while; I had it running for at least a minute.
Deb – I have the same ice cream maker and completely agree with the noise complaint :) It does work quite well otherwise.
yeai for sorbet!
There is a way to make sorbet without an ice cream maker! After blending, put the final mix into a METAL container-this helps the mixture chill faster. Cover and chill thoroughly in refrigerator, then put the container into your freezer. After is it frozen, partially thaw (30-45 minutes in refrigerator), then break apart and put into your food processor using the steel blade. Pulse until thoroughly broken down. Do not overprocess or sorbet will melt. Tranfer to an airtight container and return to the freezer. To enhance the flavors, place sorbet in the refrigerator about an hour before serving.
this looks just DIVINE!!! i love ur photos btw..
David’s book has defineately killed my waistline from the moment I bought it with an ice cream maker. Keeping it cold in the freezer in case of a ice cream craving has gotten me into serious trouble. Great pics as usual.
I can’t eat dairy, so no chocolate ice cream for me (mind you, my first solid food was – I kid you not – chocolate mousse). Result: I am obsessed with David Lebovitz’s chocolate sorbet. That stuff is by far the best sorbet ever. It’s deadly for the diet.
NB: For anyone else allergic to dairy/eggs, many of the recipes in the Perfect Scoop can be adapted with a little work. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Wow, that looks great. Do you have any recommendations for picking an ice cream maker? I need to break down and just buy one already…
Sorry! I should have read all the comments before I asked. I see that you already answered my question above. Thanks!
Wow, it looks like Fudgesicle in a bowl….mmmmmmm.
OK…….now stop doing that to me! I mean……….it’s bad enough that I pick on chocolate all day long, but reading this post just sent me overboard! I immediately reached for several little squares of my favorite Trader Joe’s (my everyday milk chocolate for “controlled” snacking) Milk Chocolate and began planning the execution of this recipe. The very second I find a recipe that “talks” to me in chocolate, I grab that bar. And now to make matters worse, I do have all of the ingredients readily available and my Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Attachment is frozen solid and ready to go. For Shame! Now my morning workout is a mere joke, but I can’t possibly THANK YOU for ruining my day in such glorious fashion. Hugs and Kisses…….”Doc”
The idea of sorbet doesn’t sound as good to me as ice cream, but that description and those photos have changed my mind.
Of course I’m going to make this, especially after your descriptions and especially after the week/month/year I’ve just had. But I also feel that I must know where one gets a pedicure that includes tiny brownie bites — I only get stale hard candy, and I pay too much not to be getting brownies…
Julie — I got the pedicure (hot almond milk so delicious-smelling, I wanted to slurp it through a straw. Yeah, gross. I know.) at Bliss in SoHo but I can assure you it was a one-time thing, the outcome of a g.c. Alex had bought me over a year ago. (Were my feet in that bad shape or does he just really like me? The mysteries never cease!)
I have never wanted something so badly. That is, a bite of this chocolate sorbet and an ice cream maker. Ugh. I suppose its for the best, as I’m not a better person than you and would probably eat the whole serving.
I wonder just *how many* quarts of this were made world-wide after reading your post yesterday?! I didn’t even see this pix, and was inspired – tonight? I shall enjoy the fruits of my labor – thanks Deb!
Well, there is one quart (minus the bowl I just had) waiting in a freezer in Germany. Absolutely delicious, although I had to substitute half of the chocolate with milk chocolate. I just had to make that ice cream straight away, and didn’t have enough dark chocolate in the house. The result was very very good, anyway. Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Deb (and – of course – David).
OMG…I made this today (OK, I started it yesterday but put it through the machine today) and it is amazing! My son loves sorbet (prefers it to just about any other dessert) so I made it with him in mind. I personally don’t care for chocolate ice cream/sorbet (I know, what is WRONG with me?) but this is fantastic. A recipe well worth writing down on an actual card for my file. Thanks!
Stop Now! This baby weight is never coming off! That is just too good. Yum.
Wow. That’s all I can say. Wow.
Boy does this look delicious!
I have to give you and all caps OMG! this was so easy and so delicious, I need to get that book, and the ice cream attachment for the stand mixer. thank you!
I made this this morning and it is in the fridge to chill at the moment. My mum and little sis are coming over tomorrow (oops, later today) and I shall churn it then. I checked on it earlier and when I inverted the container nothing happened…it is that thick, a quick poke with a fork loosened it a bit and then of course I had to lick the fork…..it tastes heavenly though very sweet, it won’t taste as sweet frozen of course but you could make it with less sugar and have a cold fondue to dip all sorts of goodies into.
Delicious. I trimmed the sugar a little bit and added a couple tablespoons of vodka for texture. It came out wonderful – creamy, dark, and decadent. No one could eat more than a scoop, it was so rich.
Next I want to try a version without the cocoa so I can use the single-plantation Michel Cluizel chocolate I have.. about $7 for the 6oz of chocolate, but oh would it ever be delicious.
you were on to something when you said this reminded you of hot chocolate….it tastes just like chocolate puro! In latin america you can order your hot chocolate without milk (puro). Much better for the real chocoholics. I’ve been trying to figure out how to make it…and this is it! I might cut the sugar a bit so that I could drink it. And add a dash of cinnamon. Perfection.
I’m sure the sorbet will be fabulous as well (it’s chilling as we speak).
made this tonight- oh my! Everyone loved it, well, except for my vanilla loving 6yo (seriously, where did she come from?) and I’ll definitely be making it again. We visited an amazing hot chocolate cafe in Bratislava over spring break and this tasted like the summer version of their intense chocolate drinks.
Hey, can you buy Galler cocoa anywhere in the US, or only through mailorder?
Hi Carrick — You know, I’m not sure. Theoretically, in NYC you should be able to get “everything” and “anything” as they say, but my in-laws had brought it back for me from vacation one time so I’ve never looked. That said, David Lebovitz says that the best stuff out there is the Valrhona, especially for this sorbet. It’s expensive, “but worth it.” And Valrhona is definitely available in the U.S.
Can you make this without a blender? Mine is currently unavailable…
This is the reason I bought the ice-cream attachment for my KitchenAid earlier this summer. After trying many other recipes I finally got around to making this yesterday. What took me so long? Even though I did not have good quality chocolate in the house I had all the ingredients so gave it a whirl. The taste is the most intense chocolate one can imagine. It is soooo gooooood. I used mostly Baker’s semi-sweet and some Ghiradelli with Droste cocoa. The texture of yours in the photos looks a bit more like ice-cream while mine is more like frozen syrup- very dense frozen syrup. But it’s so tasty!!! Roasted banana ice-ceram is next.
OK, this was pretty much amazing!! My bf, who is a chocoHOLIC, loved it so much! I swear i saw his eyes roll back in his head. Thank you!
The recipe’s author has tips on making ice cream without an ice cream maker in this blog post.
Hey there, I just found Paradise! The only thing that stands in my way to depart to Paradise is, that I do not own ice cream maker / I am from Prague, Czech Republic /,is there any possibility to make it ice-creamy in a different way? Thank you so much…
I don’t have any vanilla essence (and we’re moving soon, so I don’t see any reason to buy it) but I do have some miiiint!!!!
Can we talk about storage? How does everyone store their ice cream once it’s made? I haven’t been able to find a container that seems appropriate.
Your pictures of ice cream, especially the dulce de leche, one make me want to run downstairs and make it NOW. But then I remember it’s 10 o’clock at night, and ice cream is… *sniff* fattening. But this sorbet… no heavy cream? Ha! It’s practically healthy, which is what I’ll be telling myself as I scarf down half of it. :)
About how long would you have to freeze the mixture after you blended it?
That will depend on how long your freezer bowl had been frozen before you churned it, how cold your freezer is, etc. Usually a couple hours is enough, but it’s better to estimate four to get to a store-bought frozen consistency.
It turned out almost exactly like the pictures, which was a big HA! to my unbelieving mother who insisted that the sorbet would freeze solid. It was nice and fudgy, but suuuper chocolatey and a tiny bit grainy, but maybe because I didn’t blend it?
I just made this and it’s delicious, although by the time it was chilled the pre-churned mix was so fudgy that I very nearly just sat down and ate the whole lot with a spoon. Is it just me or could you set the pre-churned mix in small glasses or ramekins in the fridge and then serve it to, say, your utterly dairy-intolerant best friend as a chocolate mousse?
I don’t have an ice cream machine so I just poured the cooled mixture into a long pyrex dish and froze it with the intention of whisking it every few hours. After about 3 hours I saw that it was mostly frozen, but not grainy at all. Took in out and put it in the Cuisinart to whip but like the commenter above, couldn’t stop eating it!
This is a fantastic, outrageous chocolate dish! Thanks for posting it.
I have made this and decided to not blend it, because I thought ‘why dirty another appliance?’– a big mistake. It turned out really grainy, which I can only imagine would have been solved with the blender. Anyone else have this problem even with using the blender? I am wondering if I should try again
I made this last night (and made the mistake of telling my husband what I was making, so couldn’t sneak too much). It was AMAZING! We actually had to put the remainder in the freezer, brush our teeth, and go for a walk, so that we would not eat it all in one sitting.
I didn’t have bittersweet chocolate so I cut back on the sugar (1/2 cup) and used semisweet chocolate. Seems to have worked well!
I made this yesterday and just tried it today – the taste is amazing for a fan of bittersweet chocolate! The texture was a bit grainy, like dust which I am assuming is the cocoa. My question is was the boiling for 45 seconds, or the spin in the blender, to do away with the graininess of the cocoa? Or did the recipe specify d-p cocoa to achieve a less grainy texture? I’m a bit stumped and would appreciate any advice!
I have to say, when I made this I followed Deb’s instructions exactly and it was as smooth as silk. I just found it hiding in the back of the freezer five weeks after I made it and it was, if anything, even more ridiculously smooth and chocolatey than before. Not a grain in sight.
Re: Grittiness — My hunch (and I’m just taking a stab in the dark here) is that any time cocoa is added to a hot liquid (versus creamed into butter in a cake), there’s a risk of grittiness. I’ve seen this happen a lot with homemade cocoas (and even store-bought chocolate sorbets) — I am not sure that cocoa so much dissolves in hot liquids as softens. Ours did not come out in any way noticeably gritty, but if it is a concern, running the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer (or a medium-mesh one lined with cheesecloth) should remove any grit.
Grittiness can also come from iciness too, of course, which has more do to with freezing temperatures and speeds.
Thanks Deb! I will definitely try the straining as I need to make this recipe again. My boyfriend has declared this recipe as my version of “an elaborate ruse” to keep all the sorbet to myself because the chocolate flavour is just too intense for him (wimp) but absolute bliss for me!
I’ve made this several times for my extremely picky and dark chocolate-obsessed husband and he keeps asking for more. I followed Deb’s rule first time out and made the recipe exactly as posted. And besides using Valrhona cocoa powder, I also used Valrhona Noir bittersweet 61% “Les Fèves” discs (50 = exactly 6 ounces for those without a scale). The result is an ode to the wonderfulness that is Valrhona chocolate.
The last couple of times I’ve added a little something extra to the mix on a suggestion from my husband since he subscribes to the theory that nothing can be too chocolaty. Besides the vanilla extract, I’ve added a Tablespoon of chocolate liqueur – Godiva, Truffles, Mozart and Häagen Dazs are a few brands – with outstanding results.
Deb, thank you so much for this recipe and David Lebovitz’ book to my attention. I think you’re the bees’ knees. :)
Holy crap, Deb. I just finished churning mine and put it in a container in the freezer. Before I did that, though, I took a spoon to it and oh my gosh, is that ever some hardcore chocolate.
This is not for the faint of heart, or the faint of chocolate for that matter. This is bone-achingly chocolate-y, so fabulously chocolate-packed that I (nope, not remotely kidding) swooned tasting my first spoonful. This is truly a delightful treat and I can’t wait to stuff my face with this stuff later…
David Lebovitz (and you, too) is a genius.
Made this a second time with vegan chocolate and added vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough. The vegans at the potluck demolished it!
Another variation…add a little instant espresso powder to the cocoa. Next time I might try some kahlua to give it a little kick and leave out the vanilla.
WOW.
I admit, I was skeptical. Better than brownies?!
It really is.
Thank you! (and David Lebovitz!)
I’ve made this (too many times) and Dahveed’s chocolate ice cream as well. As a confirmed chocolate ice cream lover, I have to admit the sorbet is my new favorite. The intensity of the flavor is amazing. The milk and cream of the ice cream tames that intensity. Of course, you must seriously love chocolate to eat this ambrosia.
I made this and it is very good. Instead of sugar, I used splenda. It still came out very sweet and wish that I could reduce the sweetness.
Maybe next time I will reduce the chips and add more cocoa powder.
Will post and give the people watching their sugar an alternative.
I made this, only I used 3 oz of dark and 3 oz of milk chocolate, and I laced it with Italian style white chocolate flecks and tiny blobs of pure cocoa powder.
Best. Ice cream. Ever.
This is just amazingly good. I spent all summer making ice cream from David’s book. Everything was well-received, but this was a hands-down winner unanimously voted by my tasters.
I came for the recipe and stayed for the story. Thank you for the best chocolate story– you made my evening :)
And yes, I will say it makes less than a quart!
Help, Deb! Everything was going swimmingly until the whole putting it into your ice cream maker bit. After 20-30 minutes of churning I still had a relatively unfrozen, but very cold chocolate mousse – am I supposed to freeze it again to get a proper ice-creamy texture?
Sounds like an issue with the ice-cream maker. Did you have the bowl in the freezer for a day before you used it? For me, an hour or two never cuts it.
I had it in my chest freezer for about 15 hours … I might try lowering the temp of the freezer.
I’m also re-freezing the mousse sorbet impostor – which I have to say tastes exactly the same as the chocolate sorbet they serve at Maze!
I made this exactly as described and WOW. It is so rich and has such an intense chocolate flavor. A friend and her 5 year old grandson were over recently and we needed to mix the chocolate sorbet with vanilla ice cream for him. It is such a grown up taste. Love it! Thanks for posting – and for introducing me to “The Perfect Scoop”
Wow, an amazing recipe, so rich and so perfect, I have to keep telling myself not to open the door of the freezer so often!
I may have accidentally added a few HEAPING tablespoons of Nutella…and I may add hazelnuts too
I just tried your recipe and OH MY GOSH!!! This is incredibl!! Thanks for sharing!
OH MY GOODNESS amazing. Made it twice in the past week…definitely not considered “light” in the quantities I’ve been consuming it.
wow delicious ice cream.. nice site give me idea how do make ice cream
I concur with all the above raves – this is the most insane chocolate sorbet I’ve ever tasted. Knock your socks off – eye rolling to back of head -frighteningly good. I made this the old fashioned way – stirring a plastic container every so often in the freezer and it still came out like silk. This recipe is going in my arsenal!
How do you store this insanely delicious sorbet? Is a big tupperwear container hardy enough?
Tupperware should be just fine.
I just LOVED this recipe!
I made it on sunday and there’s no more at my freezer. I’m in love. :))))
TY for the pleasure!
YUMMMMM!!!!
I just made this and even before freezing it tasted amazing!
Thanks for posting the recipe!
Leah
I just made this to test drive my new ice cream maker. I couldn’t find pure Dutch cocoa powder at my local supermarkets, and used a brand that is a mix of regular and Dutch. I also used chocolate chips for the 6 oz. of chocolate (not exactly sure if the chips were “kosher” as to what type of chocolate I could use). Despite these variations, this was absolutely amazing!
I didn’t experience any grainy texture, but I was sure to blend it thoroughly based on the comments above.
I served the sorbet after it had been in my freezer for 36 hours. My only “concern” is that this sorbet seemed to melt very quickly. However, we are in the middle of a heat wave and perhaps my apartment is on the warm side. I’m also guessing that perhaps sorbet melts more quickly than ice cream? I normally don’t eat sorbets.
A question – we have an old fashioned type ice cream maker, the kind where you use rock salt and ice to churn and it takes quite a while to churn ice cream. Is that the same kind of ice cream maker others are talking about here? It’s not a “freezer” ice cream maker. I’d like to double the quantity, too – it’s for our baby shower. Any hesitations about just multiplying by two?
Thanks! Can’t WAIT!
Amanda — I was referring to and using an electric machine and unfortunately, have no expertise in using the hand-cranked ones. But if you have the manual (or can Google online instructions for it), it should work the way any other ice cream would in there. If your tub has the volume, you can double it.
Oh man. I just made this, and it is incredible. I was eating it straight out of the ice cream maker before it was even done churning. I made strawberry ice cream too, and I’m going to make truffle by making little balls of strawberry ice cream, freezing them, making bigger balls of chocolate sorbet, making an indent in those, putting the strawberry balls into the chocolate balls, and rolling them in cocoa powder. I will probably post them on my blog, if anybody wants to check later and see what I mean.
this recipe is amazing. i added a ribbon of salted caramel sauce in the middle. LOVE.
Pure Genius!! When my 8 yr old found out he had to have his tonsils out and the Dr’s told us No Ice cream (Dairy) for the first 2 days he was not happy. Oh and nothing red, which leaves out strawberries and raspberries. I did some digging and found your recipe! So he conned his dad into the ice cream attachment for my kitchen aid mixer!! (Love that boy) Well yesterday he had his tonsils out 11/8. Today all he wanted me to do was make the Chocolate Sorbet!!
He and I are raving chocoaholics!! And we absolutely LOVE this!! The most amazing flavor and texture!!
Deb, many many thanks from Logan and I!! You are making the recovery well worth it!!
Hi Deb. This looks amazing! Can I use regular Hershey’s cocoa instead of Dutch-processed since this recipe doesn’t call for any baking soda? Thanks!
Shouldn’t be a problem.
It wasn’t! It was delicious!
Any way to make this without an ice cream maker?
Nevermind i just read all the comments and found some great tips!
Heavenly. I’m so glad this doesn’t have cream in it! I just got a cold and was planning on making chocolate sorbet this weekend, so this is perfect and without dairy so I can actually eat it…yum! And, watch the rain as I eat it with a blanket over me. Thank you for posting the recipe! Question…since it doesn’t have the additives manufactured ones have, how long is it good for in the freezer? I have a date Wednesday and he’s never had sorbet so I wanted to bring some for him too :)
OMG! I am a big brownie fan and found this recipe for icecream and it is just the bomb! I love ice cream more than anything especially after a spicy meal, i know it is naughty but I can get happy with even just two spoons.
Tried out this recipe and never gonna buy icecream again! Ever! So simple.
This was amazing!!!
This chocolate sorbet recipe is ohmygoodness satisfying. Am serving it at a chocolate-themed dinner with friends tomorrow night. It is sure to be a hit!
I just had a terrifying moment. When i was making the chocolate sorbet (which smelled amazing), i went to go take the blender and instead of taking it off the electrical part i accidentally unscrewed the base and my almost finished perfect chocolate sorbet went spilling everywhere, including on me!!!!! Now i have at least an hours worth of clean up and no yummy chocolate sorbet to be rewarded with and the worst part is that i used my remaining chocolate and cocoa powder and will have to wait for tomorrow to try again :'( But i still cant wait to try it hoping that my blender doesnt open up again waste all that yummy chocolate sorbet (but i have to add that licking the unfinished chocolate sorbet off the counter wasnt all that bad ;) ).
Without realizing that this was posted a year ago to the day, I made this for the 2nd time on friday, 7/15. I LOVE it beyond words and get territorial when my daughter asks for it and then offers it to her friends. Next time though, I’m going to try it with some chili powder. How does tomorrow sound since the other batch is already gone!
I just bought an ice-cream maker attachment for my kitchenaid… I think this will be the christening recipe :)
OMG this was the first recipe we tried with our ice cream machine – and it’s heavenly! *_* Thank you so very much! The flavour quite reminds me of mousse au chocolat, I’ve never had ice cream like this. Double thumbs up for being milk free! d(^-^)b
I just tried out my new Kitchen Aid mixer ice cream attachment with this recipe and I just have to add my voice to the chorus of, “Wow. Yum. Love.”
I read online somewhere that part of the reason why gelato tastes more intense than ice cream is because of the lower fat content. Something about the fat coating the mouth keeping your tongue from fully tasting the flavor. Perhaps this is partly why this recipe, with the only fat content coming from the chocolate, has such an intense chocolate flavor.
I will definitely be using this recipe again, and I’m keen to try variations (cinnamon, or mint flavoring maybe?).
FYI, bittman’s brownies use only 3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate–and they’re AMAZING!
Wonderful. Tastes like a fudgesicle. Chocolate is a migraine trigger for my wife. Most unfortunate for her since she is a former chocoholic. Alas, more for me. I try to be considerate and make it when she’s not around. All y’all should have this problem.
I used the ghiradelli baker’s chocolate bar and a good brand of pure dutch cocoa …but like commenter #110, when I chilled the mixture and dropped it into my kitchen aid ice cream maker, all i got was a syrup. ( the ice cream tub had been in the freezer for a week). I then put the mixture back in the freezer for half a day and brought it back out to churn again but still go a cold syrup, not a sorbet. sigh!
Totally making this tomorrow for my Stay-cation treat! And all I need is the cocoa! Yay!
Holy Shnikes! That’s some heady stuff!
I just realized that this is vegan (well, dairy and egg free). It’s simultaneously wonderful and awful to have the knowledge, power, and ingredients to make this for myself during exam time!
Ah, finally someone who takes cooking seriously! I’ve made mine with just cocoa powder but will definitely try this one. Espresso powder helps to intensify the flavor. A tablespoon of Kahlua or brandy (don’t leave out the vanilla) will also help with the grittiness some people have mentioned. And yes, mine does melt rather quickly. Whole Foods sells bulk Valrhona cocoa powder. It’s worth every penny. Mix the cocoa powder with the sugar first and then slowly add the water. I boil the mixture for 2 minutes until it starts to take on a glossy sheen. This sorbet overshadows any chocolate cake out there!
Just found this recipe, in the nick of time. Aside from having alternating chocolate cravings and withdrawals, I was cleaning out my basement this week and found a dusty but barely used ice cream maker. “Why am I keeping this?” I thought. Maybe it is time to give it away. Not now! Thanks for saving me from a near disaster.
btw, have you found a difference using Dutch-process and ‘natural’ cocoa powder?
I love this sorbet so tasty and super easy to make. I half your sugar amount just because I like my chocolate a bit more bitter. Still seems to work really well. It goes great with orange and coconut ice cream
http://www.mrsmoriarty.com/2012/05/i-scream-you-scream.html
I used several espresso shots instead of the water and glucose and gelatin. It’s insane. Always seem to be eating a scoop every time I hit the kitchen.
This recipe is absolutely outrageous!!!! If pudding and gelato had a child, this would be it!!! This was my first frozen treat of the season, and it was a doozy!! Thanks for adding to my chocolate and frozen treat addiction.
How do you make it without an ice cream machine?
See comments #84 and #113 for tips and a link.
Oh my, this is good. We just got an ice cream maker and I had to try this. It exceeded all expectations, despite the phenomenal pictures that had me drooling for days. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Oh my goodness, this is every bit as good as your description. Yum yum, AND I made it successfully without an ice cream maker, so thought I would share. I followed the same method I use for ice cream and it worked a treat. Follow Deb’s instructions up to the point of putting it in the machine, then pour into a freezerproof dish with a lid (e.g. A Tupperware box) and freeze until firm but not solid (about 3 hours). Scoop the semi-frozen sorbet into the food processor and whizz for 30 seconds to a minute, until smooth. Pour back into the dish / box and freeze again for 2-3 hours, and repeat. Freeze again, then it is ready to eat. Thanks for sharing the great recipe Deb.
Found this recipe on line and looked so good I had to try it in my new Kitchen Aid ice cream maker. Just finished the recipe and cooling in the fridge. Very easy even for a bachelor that likes to cook. One question though… when do you add the vodka? For consistency, of course ;) ?
Wonderful! I couldn’t believe the intense flavor, nothing like any sorbet I’ve ever eaten. I’m taking it to a Grandma/baby shower Tea this weekend. There will be the usual Afternoon Tea “stuff” and a few others bring desserts, but wondering what else I can bring along to serve with the sorbet. Any ideas? Maybe just strawberries, or a fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries? I don’t want to mix the choc sorbet with anything, but since it’s so intense and servings will be small, looking for ideas, something to compliment it. Little pecan shortbread sticks?
Hi HelenB — I would definitely bring some berries or a fruit salad and maybe some shortbread or a barely-sweet crumpet or scone.
I used this as the basis for chocolate gelato, subbing whole milk for the water.
I also subbed 1/2 cup of agave nectar for the 1 cup of sugar (I’m not anti-sugar, just curious to try this), and added 1 TB of vodka to combat iciness.
Holy crap it’s good.
I didn’t quite get 2 pints, but that may have been because I had to do a lot of taste-testing…
Fabulous! Used 3/4 cup of my favorite coffee (cold) instead of the water at the end. Also, don’t be lazy like me and skip the blending step–you’ll end up with grainy bits of chocolate in your sorbet (not a good thing).
I found this recipe on Monday (Nov2012) using my favorite button, the Surprise Me button. It instantly had me in its clutches and I filed it away for Saturday, buying really good chocolate and Dutch Cacao beforehand, which is pretty unique for me as I am queen of the replace-o-foods, empress of the make-do-with-the-store-cupboard. Anyway, I don’t have an icebream maker or any of that fancy-shmancy stuff, so I just wanted to report that this worked wonderfully using the technique where you freeze it and mash it to death every 30mins. Even if you wrote this oooh about four years ago :)
p.s. For my favorite dessert, just add frozen raspberries, a scoop of coffee icecream and a little hot fudge sauce – oh my goodness!
I am in a bit of pickle, I recently got an ice-cream maker and the first recipe I tried was David Lebovitz’s chocolate ice-cream which was amazing! And then I saw this… And then I saw his chocolate sherbet recipe, my mind can’t get around a chocolate sorbet so I might go with the sherbet, but your sorbet really does look too good to not try! Guess I’ll have to try both ;)
I ate chocolate sorbet for the first time last night at a restaurant. Since I can’t do dairy, I’ve missed ice cream and most sorbets just don’t have the same appeal. I loved the chocolate sorbet so much….so rich and creamy…that I just had to search for a recipe. And wouldn’t you know it…..I found it on your site, which has become my favorite food blog! Now, I’m off to buy some chocolate and cocoa powder so I can make it myself!
Hi there, first time posting. Have been making meals from your website for about a month and am now the hero of the kitchen. THANK YOU! Made this sorbet with orange juice instead of water and it was fantastic! This was the easiest dessert I ever made. Thanks again.
I have had the original recipe for months now and the icecream bowl in the freezer for more than a week because I was waffling on whether to do this or mango sorbet. Then I came upon your page this morning while searching for chocolate sauce to go with the mango sorbet and decided to make this instead. I adjusted it according to a Mexican chocolate icecream recipe by adding a little cayenne and cinnamon and just for kicks, a tad of Blue Mountain coffee from my country.Gee! I tasted the unfrozen mixture and felt a rush to my head, I had to lean against the counter in a semi faint for a minute or so. It’s chilling now, will freeze tonight. Thank you for the inspiration and the people who post here too. :-)
As noted above, this is not for people who are iffy about chocolate. This is just for us purists. Purists, make this immediately! Still on my first batch, but I’m already confident in calling this recipe an addiction (can’t wait to add raspberries next time!).
Also, as many note, it’s incredibly easy to make and can be made without an ice cream maker (chill in refrigerator, then transfer to freezer in plastic container, stirring/mashing every 20-30 minutes until ideal consistency achieved). Thanks for yet another winner, Deb!
Help! I made this lovely recipe… but it didn’t freeze in my icecream maker. The taste is great… but I’ve just got a thick and cold mixture (consitency of ganache). I made the mixture and left it in the fridge to completely cool before putting in the maker – any ideas? I would love to have a vegan sorbet with that taste :)
Jo — Do you have one of those ice cream makers with the freezer bowls? They need to be in the freezer for at least 24 hours before being used, or they don’t get cold enough. Then, the semi-frozen mixture needs to be transferred to a container in the freezer for several more hours to achieve an ice cream/sorbet consistency, i.e. most machines only half-freeze ice-cream. Hope that helps. Let me know if it was something else.
Yes – one of those freezer bowls. I froze the bowl for over 24hrs on this attempt… and it was runnier than the first attempt! How thick is the mixture supposed to be before pouring into the machine? Both attempts haven’t been wasted – I’ve just put the whole mixture in a tub in the freezer! Still tastes yummy!
Jo — It should be a bit softer than soft-serve. Closer to a frozen margarita? ;) I am wondering if your freezer isn’t cold enough. (Not to sound like I’m judging your freezer! But it’s got to be either the freezer or the machine, if it’s not firming up.)
I’m pretty sure I followed the recipe exactly, but it all fit into what is supposed to be a pint container. Has anyone really gotten a quart yield? Just wondering if I missed something. Yummy tho!
I did not think this could possibly meet expectations, and yet…
BEYOND AMAZING. I want to tell you about the variation I just tried, not because the recipe needs any improvement, but just in case it suits your mood one day: I was making this for a friend’s fish taco party, so in order to Mexicanize it, I added a dried ancho chili (added whole – it just got ground up in the blender), a 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg. None of the flavors were really detectable in that dense sea of chocolate, but it did add a little sumpin’ sumpin’.
Made this today. Wow, love everything about how easy it was to pull together but most how divine it tastes! I have zero doubts, this sorbet will be fantastic with berries and fresh whipped cream or spooned straight out of the Ball jar. Thanks for another fabulous treat to add to my family cookbook!
Oh. My. Gosh. This is truly a chilled, melty brownie scooped into a bowl. When Deb says one taste almost made her black out with joy, it is not an exaggeration. If you’re feeling extra decadent, you could serve it over a chocolate crinkle cookie for truly intense, chocolatey bliss. My 9 year old got an ice cream maker for Christmas and wanted to make ice cream immediately. Since stores were all closed, we opted for this as the only ice cream recipe online for which we had all the ingredients (though I used regular Ghiardelli cocoa with great success). I thought my son would want the first batch to be a more traditional ice cream with actual cream but, to the delight of his dyslactic (lactose-intolerant) mother he opted for sorbet. Luckily, nine-year-olds do not attach the same stigma to sorbets that we grown-ups tend to do. And they absolutely do NOT apply to this recipe. This is no icy, popsicle-like concoction that makes you wish you were eating the real thing. This IS the real thing! Thank you, Deb, for sharing. I knew I could trust your recipe to deliver what was promised in the post!
My friend and I had chocolate sorbet at a yogurt place last week. It was so yummy. I came home and searched for recipes. This is far exceeded my expectations!! It was 10 times better than the yogurt place and SO much more chocolatey. It’s like frozen pudding…only better. Absolutely heavenly!
I really love the chocolate sorbet recip, I have recently had to go dairy free and miss ice cream a lot!!!! This recipe is better than any chocolate dairy ice cream I have ever had, thank you.
You are an evil temptress. And for that, I thank you. Mixture is chilling in the refrigerator right now, and I can tell by one tiny taste that I’m in big trouble. The very best kind of trouble.
Having 3 kids with allergies, including one with dairy, we’ve made this recipe a lot!
It is great…
We’ve also added more chocolate…some enjoy life chips, and 1/2 tsp of mint extract to give it a nice clean finish. We’re heading to the beach this weekend for a nice vaca before school starts in a few weeks, where making some to have on hand will be one of the first orders of business.
Though we may leave out the spring rolls and carrots one of my daughters has requested it include! :)
I made this last weekend because I was desperate for chocolate and didn’t have any dairy in the house. Rather than make a trip to the store, I searched for ice cream-like recipes that used ingredients I had on hand. This recipe was so dark and smooth and creamy. I can’t believe it doesn’t have dairy. It tastes like frozen, creamy brownie batter, and looks exactly like the pictures. This was my first sorbet. I can’t wait to try other sorbet recipes.
Made this, delicious, but didn’t totally freeze! Which I think might be because I didn’t use quite all of the water (it looked so runny) – would this make sense? I suppose water freezes better than the fat in the chocolate? Thanks!
Vivien — If it didn’t freeze, it most likely was because your ice cream maker’s bowl wasn’t cold enough. I find that you really need to put them in a full 48 hours before you use the ice cream maker to get the ideal freeze.
Deb,
When you first posted the recipe, you recommended freezing the ice cream maker’s bowl for 24 hours. Have you found over the past few years that 48 hours is better?
24 should be fine, and is what manufacturers recommend, but 48 hours is failsafe, I find.
Genius! Awesome for our dairy- free friends. I think a plain shortbread cookie would provide balance, but who wants to turn on the oven just now?
Deb, is this the recipe that you posted a couple years ago? I made that stuff and swore it should be registered as an opiate or something it is definitely addictive! I finally had to let it melt and go away, I try to stay in shape (as long as round is a shape!) but it was absolutely wonderful and impossible to keep in in my freezer (mainly because I ate it all!
Indeed. It’s crazy rich.
I don’t have a blender, so taking note of possible grittiness some commenters mentioned, I sifted in the cocoa powder via a strainer and no grittiness to be found.
I used Kirkland Signature chocolate chips and Hershey’s cocoa powder and it was amazing, so I bet it’s even better with higher quality chocolate.
what is the option if i dont have ice cream maker………………
The recipe’s author has tips on making ice cream without an ice cream maker in this blog post.
Can you make this if you don’t have an ice cream maker?
Deb, what ice cream maker do you use now, in 2017?
I have the KitchenAid ice cream bowl. It’s my preferred for home use. You just use your KA to make it, so I find the motor less groaning and unpleasant than most home ice cream makers. But I haven’t made ice cream in over two years! The bowl barely fits in my freezer, so it’s never cold when I’d want it.
Can you make this if you don’t have an ice-cream maker? If so, how! (I need to make it. NEED.)
Here is David Lebovitz’s technique. He wrote this recipe and an ice cream book so I trust it implicitly, although I haven’t tried this method.
I made this exactly as written, and found it perfect! However, a friend would prefer it to be less sweet. Any thoughts on to what extent sugar could be reduced without compromising quality? Thank you!
I don’t have his exact words in front of me but David Lebovitz usually discourages reducing the sugar. He says that you will not get the right texture. That said, if you’re willing to compromise a little, go for it.
About a year late responding to this and hope you see it, but I’d suggest using a very, very dark or even unsweetened chocolate rather than the bittersweet or semisweet suggested. Or use part “dark” or “black” cocoa.
In the words of our houseguest this evening, out of this world! I carry prefer this to chocolate ice cream. And yeah, it stays surprisingly fudgy in the freezer!
Hey Deb, will a food processor work in place of a blender? I tried it once without either and wasn’t happy with the result. Thanks for all the awesome that you put out in the world!
I’ve made fruit sorbet with both a blender and a food processor, both work. The blender works better but the food processor does a fine job. Going to try the chocolate in the blender this weekend!
Made this this weekend, couldn’t have been easier. I found that it needed about 10 minutes longer time in our ice cream maker to get a thick enough consistency. I also used an immersion blender right in the pan. So delicious! Adding to our dessert rotation for second opinions.
Immersion blender! Thank you for this brilliance, Michal! I was just dreading having to haul out, and clean, the food processor for just 15 seconds of work. But I know from experience that it’s a necessary step.
Hi there, I don’t own a blender :( is the blending step absolutely necessary?
Thank you.
It’s to avoid graininess — you could also pour it through a fine-mesh strainer, but press it too, so you don’t lose chocolate.
Do you know if this would work as popsicles? I’ve made the sorbet many times but don’t have the freezer space for the ice cream maker anymore. I have also made your excellent fudgecicles but am looking for something non-dairy.
Reporting back in case anyone else is interested that this absolutely works as popsicles
This was 100% my question! Thanks for answering it. To you and anyone else: how’d they turn out, as compared to the fudgesicles? I assume you put it straight into the molds, no churning in the ice cream machine? I’m debating between doing these as popsicles or the fudgsicles with coconut milk for my goal of non-dairy, rich, intensely chocolate fudgesicles.
This isn’t going to have the texture of a fudgesicle. There’s no custard element so it’s not creamy.
Aleza, I went straight into the molds, no churning. Definitely not as creamy, but I think you’ll achieve your goal.
Thanks to both of you, Deb and Dena, for your responses! Appreciated.
Hi, my name is Leyla. I am chocoholic. This chocolate sorbet is to die for me. It was very easy to make. Like it was described the smell takes you happy places. I licked every bowl, every utensil and every pot involved making it. I even licked the blender and wanted to lick the blade of the blender but I thought it would end up bad. Anyway, this is the best ice cream I have ever had. Thank you Deb.
I read the blog to my husband and he said, I want that!
When I served it, he and our friends oohed and ahhed, but I didn’t love it. In fact I could only eat a couple spoonfuls. Besides preferring textured desserts, it tasted too much like dutch cocoa. If I serve it again, I might offer it with little marshmallows and nuts, for a rocky road effect. I dunno.
This recipe produces fabulous sorbet. Do not try to mix in all the water at same time. Not good! The two steps are required to get the right results.